BAGHDAD TIME

NRO | 01/09/03 | John J. Miller

[Psalm 73]

BAGHDAD TIME [John J. Miller]
Just returned from Colorado Springs, where I spent a couple of days with the good people at Air Force Space Command.
Part of my itinerary included a gee-whiz tour of Cheyenne Mountain, where NORAD keeps its underground command center. This is the room you've seen portrayed in films, when generals track ballistic missiles approaching the United States and yell into red phones things like "Get me the president!"
In real life, it's smaller than you might expect--though it does have a few big-screen monitors, a bunch of computers, and guys in green jump suits.
There are also eight clocks at the front of the room. Seven of them are formally labeled and they mark Greenwich Mean Time, EST, Moscow time, and so on. The one that isn't permanently labeled has a piece of paper taped below it reading, simply, "BAGHDAD."

[Psalm 73]

Thought y'all could use a little Baghdad humor this AM

[Rain-maker]

Should of asked to use the elvator to see the 30+ other floors, rather than just the tourist room.

[LiteKeeper]

I took the tour two weeks ago. Security is daunting, and the place is awesome. But there is no straying from the tour. I noticed the same note under the clock.

Had the privilege of taking the tour along with Astronaut John Herrington. He had just returned from Mission 113 aboard the Space Shuttle!