Does the US Army Have a Zombie Plan?
Yes, surprisingly, the US Army, or more accurately, the U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Command, does have a documented plan for dealing with a zombie apocalypse. This plan, known as CONPLAN 8888, or Counter-Zombie Dominance, is a real, albeit unlikely, contingency document. While it may seem like something straight out of a Hollywood blockbuster, the plan is designed as a training tool and a method to address a variety of unforeseen, non-traditional threats. It’s important to emphasize that the document isn’t created because military officials genuinely anticipate a zombie outbreak. Instead, it serves as a creative exercise to help strategists think outside the box and prepare for diverse crisis scenarios.
Understanding CONPLAN 8888: Counter-Zombie Dominance
What Exactly Is CONPLAN 8888?
CONPLAN 8888 is a CONOP (Concept of Operations) document that outlines how the US military would respond to a hypothetical zombie threat. This detailed plan isn’t about believing in the living dead; it’s about preparing for any imaginable scenario. The Strategic Command created this document to be versatile and adaptable, ensuring that their response framework can be applied to various unpredictable crises, even those seemingly ridiculous on the surface.
The Purpose Behind the Plan
The main idea behind developing a plan like CONPLAN 8888 is to train military personnel in flexible response protocols. Zombies are used as a stand-in for unconventional, unknown adversaries or events. It’s meant to be a fun, engaging way to force military strategists to consider non-traditional threats that could destabilize communities and challenge the military’s capabilities. By utilizing a fictional enemy, the plan can avoid directly addressing specific real-world adversaries, maintaining a level of confidentiality while still achieving a valuable training exercise.
Scope of the Plan
The plan covers the entire spectrum of a zombie outbreak, from containing the initial infection to full-scale eradication operations. It details how the military would be deployed, how resources would be allocated, and how the Chain of Command would function during the crisis. It explores scenarios from slow-moving, traditional zombies to faster, more aggressive varieties, allowing the military to practice planning for varying speeds and types of threats. It also includes considerations for working with civilian authorities and international partners, ensuring a unified response.
Why Prepare for the Unimaginable?
Thinking Outside the Box
The inclusion of zombie scenarios in military planning illustrates the emphasis on thinking unconventionally and developing adaptive strategies. By working on a completely absurd situation, military planners are encouraged to brainstorm methods that could be effective across a range of unusual occurrences. The mental gymnastics required to prepare for fictional threats allow for a preparedness mindset capable of handling the most unexpected challenges.
Utilizing the Familiar for a Flexible Response
Using the zombie trope, which is familiar through pop culture, provides a relatable context for military personnel during planning exercises. This familiarity helps increase engagement with the training, as it brings a sense of novelty and interest that traditional training scenarios might lack. The fun yet focused exercise promotes participation and makes the training more effective.
Preparing for Any Crisis
The underlying purpose of CONPLAN 8888 isn’t about preparing for zombies directly, but rather, it is about enhancing overall crisis preparedness. The thought processes and skills utilized in a zombie scenario are applicable to real-world situations like pandemics, natural disasters, or even unconventional warfare. It’s a method for building adaptable planning and execution skills.
Is a Zombie Apocalypse Actually Possible?
The Science Behind the Myth
Scientifically speaking, the chances of a classic zombie apocalypse, where the dead rise and hunt the living, are extremely slim to none. There is no known disease or biological process that can reanimate the dead. The popular concept of zombies is based on the creative license of fiction and horror movies. However, there are some real-world phenomena that can create a “zombie-like” state, such as certain prions which can cause brain damage, and infectious diseases like rabies, but they don’t lead to the reanimation of the dead.
Real-World Parallels
Though the actual reanimation of corpses is pure fiction, real-life examples of diseases and conditions causing altered behavior are used as a basis for conceptualizing the challenges in a zombie scenario. This helps solidify the training’s practical relevance. Conditions like rabies, with its aggression and disorientation symptoms, or infections that affect brain function, are often discussed in the context of hypothetical “zombie” outbreaks, highlighting the value of preparation even when facing non-traditional threats.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the official name of the US military’s zombie plan?
The official name of the plan is CONPLAN 8888, also known as Counter-Zombie Dominance.
2. Is CONPLAN 8888 a serious plan or a joke?
It is a serious exercise in military planning that uses the zombie scenario as a stand-in for various non-traditional threats to enhance overall crisis preparedness. It’s not meant to suggest that the military actually believes a zombie outbreak is probable.
3. Why would the military create a plan for zombies?
The plan helps train military personnel in flexible response protocols, fostering innovative approaches to deal with unpredictable scenarios. It emphasizes strategic thinking and adaptation.
4. Could a real zombie apocalypse happen?
The chance of a classic zombie apocalypse with reanimated corpses is highly unlikely, as there is no scientific evidence to support this. The concept of zombies exists in fiction. However, certain medical conditions can lead to behavior that resembles zombie-like symptoms.
5. Is there a real zombie response team?
There is no official military unit designated as a “zombie response team”. The document CONPLAN 8888 is the closest representation of an actual military zombie response.
6. How long does the plan estimate it would take to wipe out the zombies?
According to estimations, it could take approximately 1,000 days, or 2.7 years, for humans to eliminate all zombies, based on newly found survival skills.
7. How long do fictional zombies typically survive?
Fictional zombies are said to be able to survive for 60 years or more, until they have decomposed to the point of being non-threatening.
8. What is the “Rage virus” mentioned in the article?
The “Rage virus” is a fictional concept from some zombie stories, in which a virus can turn living people into aggressive, zombie-like entities.
9. What are “prions” and how do they relate to zombies?
Prions are abnormal proteins that can cause other proteins to misfold, leading to brain damage and zombie-like symptoms. But they do not reanimate the dead, nor does their fictional use lead to it.
10. How fast can a zombie run?
Most fictional zombies are depicted as slow-moving. However, some fictional portrayals of zombies have them capable of running. In “The Zombie Survival Guide,” it’s stated that the fastest zombies move at a rate of barely one step per 1.5 seconds.
11. Can zombies swim?
Generally, no. Fictional zombies cannot swim, and usually they just walk on the bottom of water bodies.
12. Can zombies bite through clothes?
Fictional zombies are generally not able to bite through thick clothing like denim.
13. What is a “botnet” sometimes called in relation to the zombie concept?
A botnet is sometimes referred to as a “zombie army” because it’s a group of computers under the control of a third party.
14. Does cutting off a zombie bite work?
Cutting off a bitten limb might stop a fictional infection if done quickly, but it’s a high-risk method that can lead to additional issues from blood loss or real infections. This is purely hypothetical, based on fictional settings.
15. What was the “Zombie Task Force” mentioned?
The Zombie Task Force was an effort to increase awareness about emergency preparedness, not an actual anti-zombie unit. The program ended in 2012.
While the idea of zombies may seem absurd, the US military’s use of CONPLAN 8888 as a training exercise underscores the importance of being ready for anything, even the unbelievable. It serves as a reminder that creativity and flexibility in planning can significantly enhance preparedness. The real lesson learned isn’t about fighting the undead but about facing the uncertainties of the future with adaptive strategies and a thorough understanding of how to think outside the box.