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Season Four Research Files
Episode Seventeen
11:00pm - 12:00am
The black leather briefcase that is always near the President of the United States is believed to contain the daily nuclear launch codes and playbook of Gold Codes that map out the options to launch a variety of nuclear attacks. Although the real name is not known, it is commonly called the "Nuclear Football." The Football also holds a secure SATCOM radio so that the President can contact the National Command Authority or NORAD. A military officer (called the "Yankee White") who carries the Football undergoes the nation's most rigorous security background check. The National Security Agency updates the Gold Codes daily.
The Football came about in the aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis. President Kennedy was concerned that some Soviet commander in Cuba might launch their missiles without authorization from Moscow. After the crisis, Kennedy ordered a review of the U.S. Nuclear Command and Control system.
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