Situation Room

showing President Lyndon B. Johnson a model of the Khe Sanh area on February 15, 1968|thumb|left The concept of a "War Room" in the White House originated with President William McKinley in 1898 during the Spanish-American War. During McKinley’s tenure, it contained telegraph systems and maps. The Situation Room was created in 1961 on the order of President John F. Kennedy after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion was attributed to a lack of current information. The facility has secure communications systems; the wood panels over the walls hide audio, video, and other systems. The Situation Room staff is about 130 people, including five watch teams, which monitor domestic and international events; a travel support team; video operators; and communications technicians. Each watch team includes six duty officers, a communications assistant, and a senior intelligence analyst, though the number and composition of the teams may vary, depending on shift requirements and workload. The teams are staffed from a pool of senior personnel from agencies in the intelligence community and from the military. These members are chosen from heavily vetted nominations made by their parent agencies and are apolitical. They stand watch round the clock, monitoring world events and keeping senior White House staff apprised of significant incidents. The current director of the Situation Room is Marc Gustafson. ==Functions==

The purpose of the Situation Room is to provide current intelligence and crisis support to the NSC staff, the national security advisor, and the president. The room is a round-the-clock meeting-place for sensitive information flowing to and from the White House. It is also the funnel through which most communications, especially classified information, pass when the president is not in residence—an essential link, giving the traveling White House access to all the information from Washington's national-security community. The day begins with the watch team's preparation of the Morning Book. Prepared for the president, the vice president, and most senior White House staff, the Morning Book contains a copy of the National Intelligence Daily, the State Department's Morning Summary, and diplomatic cables and intelligence reports. The Book is usually in the car when the national security advisor is picked up for work. The morning routine also includes the President's Daily Brief, prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence; this is delivered to the president and other NSC principals by an intelligence officer, who briefs them about the document. In addition, the Watch Teams produce morning and evening summaries of select material. These summaries of interagency issues are sent electronically to the NSC staff. The Situation Room staff also provides alerts on new events to NSC and White House personnel. Responsible for informing the president is the national security adviser. Later, a written "Sit Room Note" is prepared, summarizing the event with current reports from other centers, perhaps including a photo, diagram, or map. The task of the Situation Room staff is to ensure that the president and national security advisor are informed not only of the current situation but also of how the situation is being portrayed by the news media. Another typical Situation Room activity is arranging the president's phone calls and other sensitive communications with foreign heads of state. This includes scheduling such calls at each end, providing interpreters where necessary, and ensuring appropriate security and record-keeping. In this function, the Situation Room coordinates closely with the White House Communications Agency. ==2006–2007 renovation==

: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, with members of the national security team, receive an update on Operation Neptune Spear, a mission against Osama bin Laden, in one of the conference rooms of the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011|thumb|left The only thorough renovation of the Situation Room took place in 2006 and 2007. Until then, the room used cathode-ray tubes for monitors, fax for communication, and computers and telephones of the mid 1980s. others termed the complex before renovation "something of a low-tech dungeon". The following day, President Bush officially opened the newly refurbished Situation Room in a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Two of the rooms in the complex were preserved, these being the main conference room and the secure video transmission site. They are currently located at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and the George W. Bush Presidential Center. ==2023 renovation==

The Situation Room complex was upgraded in late 2023 after a yearlong renovation for a cost of $50 million. Marc Gustafson was responsible for leading the renovation process. The walls were made with sustainably harvested wood, with new monitors installed into them. ==See also==