The US military has a contingency plan called CONPLAN 8888 to combat a zombie apocalypse. The plan was initially developed as a teaching tool for military planners to think creatively about response plans. It addresses various types of zombies, including pathogenic, radiation, evil magic, space, and vegetarian zombies, and outlines a five-phase response to a zombie outbreak.
Phase 0, "Shape the Environment," involves monitoring disease vectors and identifying potential infection spread. Phase 1, "Deterrence," displays military power to deter human adversaries from aiding the zombies. Phase 2, "Initiative," initiates a complete recall of military personnel and implements continuity of operations plans.
Phase 3, "Dominance," involves a massive military response to eradicate zombie concentrations, while Phase 4, "Stabilization," focuses on reconnaissance, locating survivors, and surveying civil services. Phase 5, "Normalization," aims to re-establish civil authority and restore infrastructure.
The plan highlights strategic limitations, including a lack of dedicated counter-zombie task forces and difficulties in ensuring zombie neutralization. It also recommends burning bodies and securing command and control nodes. The plan warns that there is limited scientific data to counter a zombie threat and suggests turning to popular media for inspiration.
Here are the key facts from the text:
1. The US military has a plan to combat a zombie apocalypse called Contingency Plan 8888.
2. The plan was developed as a teaching tool for military planners.
3. The plan addresses the threats from different types of zombies, including pathogenic, radiation, evil magic, space, weaponized, and vegetarian zombies.
4. The plan also addresses the threat of chicken zombies, which are real and occur when chickens are improperly euthanized with carbon monoxide.
5. The plan involves five phases: Shape the Environment, Deterrence, Initiative, Dominance, and Stabilization.
6. Phase 0 (Shape the Environment) involves monitoring disease vectors and identifying ways that infection can spread.
7. Phase 1 (Deterrence) involves displaying military power to deter potential adversary nations from hostile action.
8. Phase 2 (Initiative) involves recalling all military and reserve personnel and implementing continuity of operations plans.
9. Phase 3 (Dominance) involves a massive military response against the zombie threat.
10. Phase 4 (Stabilization) involves initiating local reconnaissance operations to determine the strength of surviving zombie forces.
11. Phase 5 (Normalization) involves aiding in the re-establishment of civil authority and commercial and civilian infrastructure.
12. The plan highlights some current strategic limitations, including a lack of dedicated counter-zombie military task force and the difficulty in ensuring a zombie is truly neutralized.
13. The plan recommends burning all bodies thoroughly to ensure zombie neutralization.
14. The plan warns that there is little useful scientific data to be used by the US military to counter a zombie threat.
15. The plan suggests that popular media may be used for inspiration on destroying the walking dead.
16. The plan warns that evil magic zombies may prove to be the most difficult to defeat and suggests the recruitment of the chaplain corps to combat this threat.