[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

I would think that PB2 would still remain separate from a Regional base. Though I do a agree it should have something to do. Probably the coordination of satellite comms and such, possibly even the ability to launch Morrowsat 2. I don’t think either PB1 or PB2 should have been designed or utilized as someplace with a lot of people coming and going. Probably does have a great number of planning staffers who with a functional PB1 would concentrate on overseas, Caribbean, or South American coordination and recovery efforts. Things like ethanol production, gas or oil drill rigs, food production in Argentina and Brazil while North America is still plagued by fallout.

The trick is that you need to find some important-while-PB1-exists task that requires the same quantity and kind of people as PB2. Satellite comms seems like a handful of people too small and specialized for PB2, likewise fuel or food production. These are general command staff, they need something general to command.

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Don’t agree that an OCONUS command means a failed effort. Continental Commands coordinate all the big stuff for operations on the other side of the planet. CentCom is in Florida, South Com is in florida, and PacCom is on Oahu. Those are managing Corps and Division assets or Fleet assets on the other side of the world by sat com and phone traffic through undersea cable. Morrowsat and would expect a post – war launch of companion satellites on solid rocket boosters that can sit around for ages to be carried out.

That makes a lot of assumptions that are fine for a contemporary world power but highly risky for a post-apocalyptic recovery effort. You can't count on sat comms or undersea cables, heck you might not even have more than a modicum of water or air transport. Putting PB2 off the mainland means depending on a lot of other things going right just to maintain a connection.

And again, if you are expecting so much of the mainland to be hit that you cannot risk putting PB2 there, how much of the Project can you expect to be left?

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Actually I would…… Regional bases and Supply bases don’t need non combatants under foot and a base that isn’t open to the general public is probably better. Less chance of biowarfare agents slipping in.

I agree that noncombatants aren't needed, there really isn't a great reason to have them there in PB1, so I am not sure why you are saying "actually I would". It is the same problem Star Trek: TNG had, adding noncombatants adds drama but doesn't make sense.

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Actually if it is in the Eastern United States I would expect it to have more commo. Plugged into hardwire phone lines, cell tower networks, and data bearing fiber optics. Just by virtue of location and the density of such networks. I wouldn’t expect it to have fixed wing assets and only modest rotary craft support. This might even be the location of Morrow Rail assets. The density of rail networks and smaller networks of independent rail belonging to corporations makes this possible even in Appalachia.

Hard connections are a terrible idea, easy to track, hard to hide - I'm an electrical engineer, and the more connections you have to grid the more screens you are going to pop up on.

As to rail, you cannot expect something like rail lines to go more than a few miles without a break. As far as the TMP is concerned, the rail lines should be a disaster to be reclaimed later.

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

I would think that the majority of functioning production facilities exist in Regional Bases, like you said to spread them about. However, I would also expect each Prime to be able to produce parts for a Region that may be overburdened or to make one offs and specialty equipment for unforeseen needs.

Why? There is nothing about command and control that requires production facilities. A national manufacturing facility could and should be a separate facility to minimize exposure and risk. The only reason for including anything with PB is to better communicate end-user requirements to research needs, and a good comms pipeline handles that pretty well.

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Why? Morrow doesn’t appear to be the sort to do that. Legacy caches for example.

Because the requirements of a backup are different than the requirements of the principal. A prototype or outdated PB facility would have a lot that is not desirable in a backup unless you actually need all those resources in one place with PB1 still up and running. If this is the idea behind PB1 then I would expect them to mothball large parts of the facility and install a skeleton crew with some important but secondary command or control (only!) function for while PB1 is operational. Remember that PB2 need high quality staff, you want a job for them to do that is worthy of their skills, but you don't want a duplicate command facility needlessly eating up your resources.

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Common, give it a whirl. Huge star wars lasers to kill satellites was an 80’s thing. Robots? Artificial intelligence? Cloning?

Sure, but why at PB2? What advantage is gained by having them with PB2 where one nuke could take out both?

Originally Posted by ArmySGT.

Me? I say a complete Senior Command staff in cryosleep with a dedicated attached Recon element. Probably a MARS element that can be moved quickly to a hot spot to assist. HAAM suits with a parachute,

And what is their job with PB1 functioning? Again, these are high-value staff, you can't afford to have them napping, no matter what you want them working. There really isn't a need for 2 PB's at the same time.