Defense Readiness Condition
DEFCON, which stands for Defense Readiness Condition or just Defense Condition, is the ranking system used by the U.S. military to assess its readiness for a possible nuclear attack.
According to Military.com, during the Cold War, when fear of communism was at its peak, a system for assessing perceived threats to national security was developed.
In 1959, when the DEFCON system was implemented, the Joint Chiefs of Staff explained in a memo: “A uniform system of progressive readiness is essential in ensuring timely, accurate, and clear direction of commands subordinate to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and in achieving greater effectiveness of US forces in preparation for execution of contingency or emergency war plans. It will also assist in more rapid interpretation and evaluation of the readiness posture of the unified and specified commands.”
The DEFCON system
Those of us in Generation X undoubtedly recall the movie “War Games,” in which Matthew Broderick’s character, a teenage hacker, gained access to the Pentagon’s computer system and started a reaction that would have resulted in a global thermonuclear war. We will not rehash that film, but it led to an entire generation being exposed to the DEFCON system.
From Wikipedia;
DEFCON 1 COCKED PISTOL Nuclear war is imminent or has already begun. Maximum readiness. Immediate response.
DEFCON 2 FAST PACE Next step to nuclear war. Armed forces ready to deploy and engage in less than six hours
DEFCON 3 ROUND HOUSE Increase in force readiness above that required for normal readiness. Air Force ready to mobilize in 15 minutes
DEFCON 4 DOUBLE TAKE Increased intelligence watch and strengthened security measures. Above normal readiness
DEFCON 5 FADE OUT Lowest state of readiness Normal readiness
US going on High Alert
Those who lived and served before, during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the 1976 North Korean Axe Incident, Operation Desert Storm, and 9/11 clearly have memories of the US going on High Alert, especially those who served at the Tip of the Spear. Those who lived and served afterward only experienced it once thereafter, as Wikipedia notes below during the opening phase of Desert Storm, when the US Military was placed on DEFCON2.
According to some sites ESTIMATES, the US is now on heightened alert, though we will not specify which level to avoid spreading any possible misinformation. NOTE. SUCH SITES ARE UNOFFICIAL SOURCES AND DO NOT REFLECT THE ACTUAL DEFCON STATE, AS SUCH INFORMATION REMAINS CLASSIFIED. Instead, we prefer to speak of the history of the DEFCON system and which levels US forces have been at in the past.
As events continue to play out overseas and all over the world, we believe a review of the DEFCON system changes is in order, as there have been only 2 known instances of the US going on DEFCON2, during the Cuban Missile Crisis and during Desert Storm.
Cuban Missile Crisis and Persian Gulf War
Per Wiki;
DEFCON 2
Cuban Missile Crisis
During the Cuban Missile Crisis on Oct. 16–28, 1962, the US Armed Forces (except United States Army Europe (USAREUR)) were ordered to DEFCON 3. On Oct. 24, Strategic Air Command (SAC) was ordered to DEFCON 2, while the rest of the US Armed Forces remained at DEFCON 3. SAC remained at DEFCON 2 until Nov. 15.
Persian Gulf War
On Jan.15, 1991, the Joint Chiefs of Staff declared DEFCON 2 in the opening phase of Operation Desert Storm during the Persian Gulf War
Persian Gulf War
DEFCON 3
Yom Kippur War
On Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a joint attack on Israel, resulting in the Yom Kippur War. The United States became concerned that the Soviet Union might intervene. On Oct. 25, US forces, including SAC, Continental Air Defense Command, European Command, and the Sixth Fleet, were placed at DEFCON 3.
According to documents declassified in 2016, the move to DEFCON 3 was motivated by CIA reports indicating that the Soviet Union had sent a ship to Egypt carrying nuclear weapons along with two other amphibious vessels. Soviet troops never landed, although the ship supposedly transporting nuclear weapons did arrive in Egypt. Further details are unavailable and remain classified.
Over the following days, the forces reverted to normal status, with the Sixth Fleet standing down on Nov. 17.
Operation Paul Bunyan and the September 11 attacks
Operation Paul Bunyan
Following the axe murder incident at Panmunjom on Aug. 18, 1976, readiness levels for US forces in South Korea were increased to DEFCON 3, where they remained throughout Operation Paul Bunyan.
September 11 attacks
During the September 11 attacks, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld ordered the DEFCON level to be increased to 3 and also set a stand-by for a possible increase to DEFCON 2. It was lowered to DEFCON 4 on Sep. 14.
Photo by U.S. Air Force