More on the Pentagon plan in the event of a Zombie Outbreak. It’s actually a good exercise, and a good way to think about disaster preparations. Plus, it’s just fun.
United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) has a detailed plan that outlines how the military should respond to a zombie apocalypse, Gordon Lubold reports for Foreign Policy.
The training manual, known as CONPLAN 8888, contains six key steps that the military should undertake in the event of a zombie attack.
Although a disclaimer at the opening of CONPLAN 8888 makes it clear that this plan was developed solely as an entertaining way to teach army personnel about disaster preparedness, it is still reassuring to know that the military has a zombie back-up plan.
We have summarized the six steps of how the government would respond to zombies below.
Phase 0 — Shape the Environment
During this phase, USSTRATCOM should perform routine operations watching for any signs of zombieism. The USSTRATCOM Center For Combatting Weapons of Mass Destruction (SCC-WMD) will also be working with federal, state, and tribal governments at this stage to ensure that all information about the threat of zombieism is shared efficiently and openly.
Phase 1 — Deter
Zombies, being mindless, cannot be effectively deterred. Instead, USSTRATCOM will focus on deterring rogue nation states, terrorist groups, or unethical bio-research companies from developing or deploying a zombie-creating pathogen.
Phase 2 — Seize The Initiative
Airborne and elite ground troops will be made ready to deploy for at least a 35-day period. USSTRATCOM will conduct simultaneous confidence-building measures with nuclear peers, such as Russia and China, to avoid any misunderstandings on mission purpose. Quick global strikes against zombie-concentrated areas may be carried out, and USSTRATCOM will help to develop protected areas for civilians.
Phase 3 — Dominate
Upon direct order, USSTRATCOM will carry out mass strikes against the zombie threat. During this time, all mission-essential personnel will be sheltered for at least a 40-day period.
Phase 4/5 — Stabilise The Environment
After the passing of least 40 days from Phase 3, USSTRATCOM will begin local reconnaissance operations to determine the severity of the remaining threat, assess the security of the local environment, and survey the status of basic services and utilities.
Military personnel will also begin broadcasting on unsecured channels so as to facilitate meetings between civilians and the military. During this time, the military will remain combat ready to engage any remaining zombie forces.
Normalize The Situation — Enable Civil Authority
Once the zombie threat has been effectively eliminated, USSTRATCOM will recover, rebuild, and replace any damaged civilian infrastructure. The military strategy for dealing with a zombie apocalypse will also be updated with any lessons learned during the previous five phases.
