stiffing an urge to giggle.
Turning back toward the bow, the tour resumed. “To the right is the sick bay. It is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment including CAT scan, MRI, automated blood and tissue analysis, toxicology screening and robot assisted surgery. There is also dental and optometry equipment. The ship's pharmacy is stocked with most common drugs and medicines plus a supply of frozen plasma.”
“Across the way are electronic and mechanical engineering labs, equipped to repair or fabricate needed equipment. Not open to direct access from the passageway are bays that hold external sensors—telescopes, antennae, radar, LIDAR, and FLIR pods that can be extended beyond the hull once the ship is in space. And this...” they had come to a door blocking the hallway.
Lt. Curtis operated the control next to the door and it slid into the wall out of sight. The party stepped from the passageway, up a short flight of stairs and into a large room that spanned the entire width of the ship.
“...this is the mess and lounge area.”
AFTAC, Patrick AFB, Florida
Col. Atkins arrived at the AFTAC Command Center, his uniform neat but smelling of barbeque and wood smoke. He sat quietly as the Major brought him up to speed on the rapidly developing situation in West Texas.
“It turns out the Marines have a squad and an MV-22 parked at Mathis Field, in San Angelo, showing the flag at an airshow. The Marines are armed but have no live ammo, the air show being strictly a dog and pony show. Mathis is only a few miles away from Goodfellow and they are sending an SF detail with six ammo cans of 5.56 and eight 200 round SAW magazines—that's more than 6,000 rounds.” Maj. Bledsoe paused and looked up. “Are we expecting heavy resistance?”
“Strictly a precaution. Besides, you know the Marines, can't pack enough ammo to make them happy,” the Colonel chuckled. “Are they on the way yet? What's their estimated TOA?”
“The Security Force people have just arrived at the air show. We are in contact with the Osprey's flight crew and they are running down the Lieutenant in charge of the squad of Marines. We've briefed the flight crew as to their destination and what to expect. As soon as the Marine LT gets on board they will depart. We'll brief the ground unit while they are in the air.”
“Great, good work people. What about the local authorities and the Feds?”
“They have been contacted and are sending the local Marshal, some Texas Highway patrolmen, and, I kid you not, a Texas Ranger. The Ranger is hitching a helo ride with some U.S. Marshals from San Antonio. We also have FBI out of San Antonio and BATF from both Fort Worth and El Paso. This guy's ranch is at least 250 miles from anywhere so the Feds will be arriving late. The Marines will probably be on station about the same time as the local yokels.”
“Sounds good.” The Colonel then addressed the others present in the room: “Listen up people. The plan is for the Marines to seize the ‘ spaceship ’ or whatever is in the hangar, and hold the site until FBI and Homeland Security personnel can get there. They are not authorized to arrest anyone and we don't want any posse comitatus blow-back.”
The original 1878 Posse Comitatus Act was passed with the intent of removing the Army from domestic law enforcement. Posse comitatus, which means “the power of the county,” is viewed by many as a major barrier to the use of U.S. military forces in domestic security operations. In reality, it is more of a procedural formality than an actual impediment to the use of the military in homeland defense.
Since 1980, there had been ample authority to employ military personnel in homeland defense when there was a threat involving weapons of mass destruction. Since a Pinnacle event is by definition nuclear in nature and there was the possibly of some form of weapon, the Pentagon OK'd the use of military force to seize whatever had emitted the radiation
Turning back toward the bow, the tour resumed. “To the right is the sick bay. It is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment including CAT scan, MRI, automated blood and tissue analysis, toxicology screening and robot assisted surgery. There is also dental and optometry equipment. The ship's pharmacy is stocked with most common drugs and medicines plus a supply of frozen plasma.”
“Across the way are electronic and mechanical engineering labs, equipped to repair or fabricate needed equipment. Not open to direct access from the passageway are bays that hold external sensors—telescopes, antennae, radar, LIDAR, and FLIR pods that can be extended beyond the hull once the ship is in space. And this...” they had come to a door blocking the hallway.
Lt. Curtis operated the control next to the door and it slid into the wall out of sight. The party stepped from the passageway, up a short flight of stairs and into a large room that spanned the entire width of the ship.
“...this is the mess and lounge area.”
AFTAC, Patrick AFB, Florida
Col. Atkins arrived at the AFTAC Command Center, his uniform neat but smelling of barbeque and wood smoke. He sat quietly as the Major brought him up to speed on the rapidly developing situation in West Texas.
“It turns out the Marines have a squad and an MV-22 parked at Mathis Field, in San Angelo, showing the flag at an airshow. The Marines are armed but have no live ammo, the air show being strictly a dog and pony show. Mathis is only a few miles away from Goodfellow and they are sending an SF detail with six ammo cans of 5.56 and eight 200 round SAW magazines—that's more than 6,000 rounds.” Maj. Bledsoe paused and looked up. “Are we expecting heavy resistance?”
“Strictly a precaution. Besides, you know the Marines, can't pack enough ammo to make them happy,” the Colonel chuckled. “Are they on the way yet? What's their estimated TOA?”
“The Security Force people have just arrived at the air show. We are in contact with the Osprey's flight crew and they are running down the Lieutenant in charge of the squad of Marines. We've briefed the flight crew as to their destination and what to expect. As soon as the Marine LT gets on board they will depart. We'll brief the ground unit while they are in the air.”
“Great, good work people. What about the local authorities and the Feds?”
“They have been contacted and are sending the local Marshal, some Texas Highway patrolmen, and, I kid you not, a Texas Ranger. The Ranger is hitching a helo ride with some U.S. Marshals from San Antonio. We also have FBI out of San Antonio and BATF from both Fort Worth and El Paso. This guy's ranch is at least 250 miles from anywhere so the Feds will be arriving late. The Marines will probably be on station about the same time as the local yokels.”
“Sounds good.” The Colonel then addressed the others present in the room: “Listen up people. The plan is for the Marines to seize the ‘ spaceship ’ or whatever is in the hangar, and hold the site until FBI and Homeland Security personnel can get there. They are not authorized to arrest anyone and we don't want any posse comitatus blow-back.”
The original 1878 Posse Comitatus Act was passed with the intent of removing the Army from domestic law enforcement. Posse comitatus, which means “the power of the county,” is viewed by many as a major barrier to the use of U.S. military forces in domestic security operations. In reality, it is more of a procedural formality than an actual impediment to the use of the military in homeland defense.
Since 1980, there had been ample authority to employ military personnel in homeland defense when there was a threat involving weapons of mass destruction. Since a Pinnacle event is by definition nuclear in nature and there was the possibly of some form of weapon, the Pentagon OK'd the use of military force to seize whatever had emitted the radiation
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