The President

[Matt W]

Alternatively, the President may have refused to be frozen - and chosen someone else to be saved.

The players locate the Presidential Cryotube Facility. It's supposed to hold the President and several Secret Service agents. BUT...it does not hold the designated people. They chose to freeze their loved ones and give them a chance for survival

[ArmySGT.]

Per 3rd..... the War is a surprise to everyone. NO one was in position to do anything... The Government and the Military was on block leave for Thanksgiving.

[Project_Sardonicus]

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Per 3rd..... the War is a surprise to everyone. NO one was in position to do anything... The Government and the Military was on block leave for Thanksgiving.

Yep but our line of succession president is most likely someone incredibly junior and unremarkable. Once nuclear war kicks off the US government turns into a hereditary elected monarchy until elections can be held again.

How about this scenario.

The Team get sent to a lost Morrow bunker, to find the last frozen president. Someone who once they're thawed will provide, the legitimate guidance and leadership a broken nation requires.

They start up the defrost cycle, the door opens, the mist clears and out steps....

Donald J Trump.

[ArmySGT.]

Everyone is at DEFCON two....... thinking about Thanksgiving. Even the Soviets are out at their Dachas. If there is any for the COG....this is a Deputy Secretary. The assets to protect and move them are on standby or left on base. Not a soul is expecting a thing, nothing to give anyone a hint that maybe this or that is needed. When I mean out of place, literally that, everyone is on vacation or preparing for vacation.

This is supposed to be one of the reasons there was never any reovery anywhere. The decapitation, while unintentional, was complete on all sides.

[RandyT0001]

Originally Posted by Project_Sardonicus

Yep but our line of succession president is most likely someone incredibly junior and unremarkable. Once nuclear war kicks off the US government turns into a hereditary elected monarchy until elections can be held again.

How do you have a hereditary 'elected' monarchy? Who is the 'elected' person(s)?

[Matt W]

Historically, it's not unknown to have an "elected monarchy". Theoretically, Anglo-Saxon England worked on that principle. Of course, it was usually a small electorate (the nobility) and potential candidates were also nobility

How about the President has to be from one of a few families? The hereditary heads of the Military, CIA and Congress choose one of themselves to be the President

[.45cultist]

In the 80's there was to be a 200 man special ops team and a couple of dozen 3C tractor/ trailers scattered across the country. What if this wasn't scrapped like IRL, but rolled into the snake eaters or a similar program.