REVEALED: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About How Obama’s Motorcade Works (VIDEO)


We see it in movies and television shows. People that live in Washington, D.C. have seen it a lot…the President’s motorcade. It is a convoy of black vehicles and emergency vehicles.

The author remarked that:

“They’re quite exciting the first time you spot them, but once that initial thrill is gone, well, you find yourself cursing the motorcade’s existence as you wait for the long flow of vehicles to pass by.”

Why does the president need all of these vehicles? What are they all for? Well, here it is explained in this very cool infographic:

 

obama_motorcade
Image via theatlantic.com

Don’t worry, the Atlantic is not publishing any secrets. The information was gleaned from public sources and watching motorcades.

The lineup and configuration can be changed often when the Secret Service identifies new threats to the president. They have to take it all into consideration.

The graphic explains the entire configuration. The police cars at the top, the “Pilot” and the “Route,” run 5 minutes and 4 minutes ahead of the rest of the cars respectively. The “Lead” car guides the motorcade.

The “Spare” is a car that is identical to the one the president is riding in. The one that the president is actually in is called the “Stagecoach.” The “Halfback” is an SUV where the president’s Secret Service agents ride.

Next, there is an electronic countermeasures vehicle whose codename is classified. There are two SUVs behind that one, “Control” and “Support.” They carry important staff members such as the President’s doctor and military aides.

Additionally, there is a “Cat,” which is an SUV carrying the presidential counter-assault team. The “ID Car” carries agents communicating with counter-surveillance teams. There is another big truck in this row that is prepared to handle biological threats.

Lastly, there are two press vans, a White House Communications Agency van to make sure the motorcade has communication with the outside world. Finally, there is an ambulance at the back of the pack.

The term, “motorcade,” was first coined in 1911 by a sports reporter. Before we had highways, people would take their “horseless carriages” on 1,000 mile trips across the country. Theodore Roosevelt was the first president to ride in an electric vehicle.

It took a few years before the motorcade was associated with armored vehicles and moving the president. In the 1940s, the president rode in a limousine nicknamed “Sunshine Special.” It had a siren, bombproof undercarriage, and a bulletproof windshield. Over the years, it evolved into the complex motorcade we use today.

Here is a video of the motorcade in action:

Featured image from YouTube via screengrab.

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