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Interesting Points from the Book “Standing Next to History: An Agent’s Life Inside the Secret Service” by Joseph Petro

Posted on January 19, 2008

I’ve always been fascinated by the United States Secret Service, especially the procedures, regiment and strict discipline associated with presidential protection. (The Secret Service actually started out as an arm of the U.S. Treasury department with the responsibility of fighting the counterfeiting of U.S. currency, however aspect is far less sexy and interesting to me.) I just finished the book, “Standing Next to History: An Agent’s Life Inside the Secret Service“, written by Joseph Petro, a former agent who spent 4 years of his service protecting Ronald Reagan. The book was interesting and an easy read.

The following are some facts (according to the author) that I found especially interesting (in order of mention in the book):

• The President doesn’t eat anything unless the origin of the contents and who handled it are known.  At state banquets for example, it appears that the President is eating the same food as everyone else, but his meal is cooked by White House stewards who actually source the same ingredients themselves.  There are exceptions, like when the President is at a baseball game and wants a hot dog.  In this case an agent will randomly select a vendor and make a purchase.
• While at an Orioles game, Reagan ordered three hot dogs, handed the vendor $5 and said keep the change.  However the hot dogs were $2 a piece and Reagan’s staff had to chip in the difference.
• Upon hearing gunshots, most people instinctively duck and cover.  Secret Service agents are trained to unholster their weapons, stand up and return fire.
• By design, the President is never more than 10 minutes away from a trauma center.  In the case of foreign soil where there may not be a trusted hospital within range, the Navy may actually locate a ship with full trauma and medical facilities in proximity.
• The legislation creating the Secret Service was actually on Lincoln’s desk waiting to be signed on the same day he was assassinated.  However it wasn’t until 1901 that the charter of the Secret Service grew to include presidential protection.
• The Secret Service has protected the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Gutenberg Bible and the Mona Lisa, in addition to human protectees.
• Secret Service protection of the President and Vice President are mandatory; it cannot be turned down.  Spousal protection is optional.
• Most presidential trips are preceded by three Service Service visits for surveying and planning purposes.  The first trip is typically 3 to 5 months prior and is called the “survey”.  The second trip is 1 month prior and is called the “preadvance”.  One week prior to the President’s trip the site is visited by advance team.  Other agents arrive 1-2 days prior to the President’s visit for bug sweeping and securing and final prep.
• The President travels with a password (although it’s carried by an aide).  It needs to be processed like any other.
• Early in his Secret Service career, Petro was advised never to put the President higher than the 9th floor in a hotel, which is the maximum height that ladder trucks can reach.  In addition, the Secret Service takes over three entire floors.  The President would go in the middle with agents above and below.
• The Oval Office doors are always locked and they don’t open like regular doors; there’s a trick to it.  The same applies to the doors on the limo.
• Protectees are assigned code names by the White House Communications Agency (WHCA), with family member’s code names starting with the same letter.  For example, George Bush 41 was “Timberwolf” and Barbara Bush was “Tranquility”.
• Family and friends who send letters to the President use a special, private mailing address. 
• When the President travels, the Secret Service flies around their own cars  They typically bring two complete sets in case there’s a problem.  This includes two presidential limos.
• Reagan worked in his residence in the early morning and always came to the Oval Office at 9 AM – no sooner and no later.  If Reagan was ready earlier he’d pace for a few minutes while looking at his watch.
• When the President or First Lady went shopping, the Secret Service would never carry their bags as it would interfere with their “operational readiness”.
• Whenever the President traveled, he had with him a slew of Secret Service agents, a doctor, a WHCA officer and the military aide (the person who carries the nuclear football) at all times.
• 95% of the threats against the President and Vice President come from people in mental institutions or are otherwise disturbed.
• Nearly everyone who comes under the attention of the Secret Service as a potential threat is interviewed.
• Reagan’s Secret Service detail took intensive horseback riding training because he was such an avid rider.
• To get off his horse, Reagan always did the Italian dismount.  In this maneuver, the rider swings one leg forward and over the horse and then slides down off the side.
• The Secretary of State is protected by State Department Security, who conduct separate advance trips than the Secret Service, even if they’ll be traveling together to the same place.
• During trips, a Secret Service agent would be stationed at the nearest hospital trauma center.
• The Secret Service has to be in the presence of the President at all times, so Petro attended several of Reagan’s colonoscopies during his colon cancer recuperation.
• An AOP is an Attack on the President.  The Secret Service trained for multiple kinds of AOP scenarios, including during normal walks or motorcades, skiing, scuba diving, and horseback riding.
• AOPs scenarios don’t get run at the White House because agents running around with guns drawn would upset the staff.  As a result, a model of the White House facade was built at the Secret Service training facility in Beltsville, MD.
• Dan Quayle would make impromptu visits to Dairy Queen because he and Dairy Queen have the same initials.
• The inaugural ceremony is a military event run by the Military District of Washington.
• Air Traffic Control (ATC) clears the airspace wherever Air Force One flies.
• President Reagan logged more miles (631,640) on Air Force One than Nixon, Ford and Carter combined (566,386).
• The largest Secret Service protective effort ever was during the Pope’s 1987 visit to the US.

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