Prime Base

[tsofian]

So Prime will certainly have something like this

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Global_Seed_Vault

Also I can see it having a number of freeze tubes for animals.

[RandyT0001]

Thoughts on PB

I read the post above that stated the upper limit of PB was about 4000 personnel. IMO, 4000 people are too, too many people. In both 3rd and 4th edition rules PB has less than a thousand people. In 4th, PB is noted to have 250 personnel. I think that too many functions are being added to PB. Prime Base is the command, coordination, and control center of MP. It is not a supply depot, repair facility, manufacturing site, nor a rebuilding test site. It has five years worth of stored food, powdered/dried, freeze dried, frozen, canned, etc. There are no hydroponics growing fresh food. It was designed to serve for five or six years until the start of the recovery. The regional bases are the primary rebuilding facilities with supplies, assigned supplemental bases (Ag, manufacturing, etc.).

Personnel Needs of Prime Base

The Command Council consists of the Branch Leaders for each branch and sub-branch (MARS, Recon, Science, Medical, Agricultural, Engineering, Communications, Energy, Civilian Affairs, Production, Resources, and Logistics) plus the Chairperson. (13)
Each member of the Command Council has a second or deputy. (13)
Each member of the Command Council has two administrative assistants. (26)
There is a liaison for each of the twelve regions. (12)
Each liaison has three communication specialists to maintain 24 monitoring of signals and requests. (36)
Each liaison has an administrative assistant. (12)

During the attack each deputy branch leader (12), each region liaison (12), and one of the three communication specialists have the responsibility to monitor the attack through video and radio signals and to transmit the weather readings from pre-positioned stations to the weather team. After the first eight hours have passed, a new shift of communications specialists relieves the deputy branch leaders. After the second eight hours have passed, the next shift of communications specialists relieves the region liaisons. At the end of the first 24 hours, the first shift of communications specialists ends their shift. After eight hours of sleep, the first shift relieves the second shift of communications specialists. Thereafter, the three shifts rotate every eight hours.

Aviation operates only during daytime when there is good weather at the base and the destination because the pilots are limited to VFR.
Three C-130 aircraft crew (12) – There are actually five C-130 aircraft but two are spares.
Maintenance Crew (4)
Cargo Riggers/ Loaders (4)
Flight Line Ground Crew (4)

Medical
Three doctors, six nurses, six orderlies (15) – One doctor, two nurses and two orderlies per eight hour shift.

Base Support
Food Service (6)
Custodian (4)
Laundry (4)
Maintenance
Electrical (4)
Plumbing (4)
HVAC (4)
Physical (4)
IT (2)
Communication (4)

Administrative Records
Base (4)
Regions (12)

Processing
Decon (2)
Exam (2)

Power Plant
Ops (10)
Maintenance (7)

Security (5)
Base Counseling (5)
Logistics Support Team (12)
Weather (4)

Prime Base has 250 personnel with no dependents. One of the primary criteria for personnel selected to serve at Prime Base was a lack of surviving family. Virtually all of PB personnel are between thirty and forty years of age.
The chairperson, deputy chairperson and their two assistants also serve as the HQ section of the group assigned to Prime Base. None of the frozen members of the Prime Base Group know the location of PB.

Prime Base Group
3x Recon (3x2=6), 3x Commando Scouts
3x MARS (3x4=12), V150 w/ TOW, 2x V150 w/ mortar
Science (4), 2x HMMWV M1025
Communications (4), 2x HMMWV M1025
Civil Affairs (4), 2x HMMWV M1025
Engineering (4), DED, M35 Dump Truck, V150 ARV

Prime Base Two is identical to PB1.

[tsofian]

Personnel Needs of Prime Base

The Command Council consists of the Branch Leaders for each branch and sub-branch (MARS, Recon, Science, Medical, Agricultural, Engineering, Communications, Energy, Civilian Affairs, Production, Resources, and Logistics) plus the Chairperson. (13)
Each member of the Command Council has a second or deputy. (13)
Each member of the Command Council has two administrative assistants. (26)
There is a liaison for each of the twelve regions. (12)
Each liaison has three communication specialists to maintain 24 monitoring of signals and requests. (36)
Each liaison has an administrative assistant. (12)

During the attack each deputy branch leader (12), each region liaison (12), and one of the three communication specialists have the responsibility to monitor the attack through video and radio signals and to transmit the weather readings from pre-positioned stations to the weather team. After the first eight hours have passed, a new shift of communications specialists relieves the deputy branch leaders. After the second eight hours have passed, the next shift of communications specialists relieves the region liaisons. At the end of the first 24 hours, the first shift of communications specialists ends their shift. After eight hours of sleep, the first shift relieves the second shift of communications specialists. Thereafter, the three shifts rotate every eight hours.

Aviation operates only during daytime when there is good weather at the base and the destination because the pilots are limited to VFR.
Three C-130 aircraft crew (12) There are actually five C-130 aircraft but two are spares.
Maintenance Crew (4)
Cargo Riggers/ Loaders (4)
Flight Line Ground Crew (4)

Medical
Three doctors, six nurses, six orderlies (15) One doctor, two nurses and two orderlies per eight hour shift.

Base Support
Food Service (6)
Custodian (4)
Laundry (4)
Maintenance
Electrical (4)
Plumbing (4)
HVAC (4)
Physical (4)
IT (2)
Communication (4)

Administrative Records
Base (4)
Regions (12)

Processing
Decon (2)
Exam (2)

Power Plant
Ops (10)
Maintenance (7)

Security (5)
Base Counseling (5)
Logistics Support Team (12)
Weather (4)

Prime Base has 250 personnel with no dependents. One of the primary criteria for personnel selected to serve at Prime Base was a lack of surviving family. Virtually all of PB personnel are between thirty and forty years of age.
The chairperson, deputy chairperson and their two assistants also serve as the HQ section of the group assigned to Prime Base. None of the frozen members of the Prime Base Group know the location of PB.

Prime Base Group
3x Recon (3x2=6), 3x Commando Scouts
3x MARS (3x4=12), V150 w/ TOW, 2x V150 w/ mortar
Science (4), 2x HMMWV M1025
Communications (4), 2x HMMWV M1025
Civil Affairs (4), 2x HMMWV M1025
Engineering (4), DED, M35 Dump Truck, V150 ARV

Prime Base Two is identical to PB1.

I can see this for a regional base but this number of people can't manage all the tasks that Prime is supposed to be able to handle. Prime is supposed to record as much of the events of the lead up to the war and the war and its immediate aftermath as possible. This means they have to cover a lot of varied communications systems. staffing you have everyone basically works EVERY Day.

The Medical team in particular would be a bit over worked. If they get a major issue or even a moderately serious surgery two shifts are going to have to work together at least.

I can't see four mechanics keeping three C-130s in operational condition if the tempo is even moderate.

I can't see 5 people providing security for the base.

[RandyT0001]

Ops, it is 150 people left unfrozen to monitor the attack and it's aftermath. I will have to redo. And it looks like there are frozen personnel at the base and various facilities built in according to 4th edition.

Reset!

[mmartin798]

I just recently had a thought about Prime Base. Realistically, once the war is in has reached it's peak, the amount of information available to Prime Base diminishes greatly. But this is the time they really need some more up to date environmental data. Sure you can wake up a team locations far from bomb drops, but that is somewhat risky to valuable human resources.

The thought I had was what about a sensor network It would be fairly easy and cheap to make a bunch of small sensors and place then on utility poles, Morrow Industries facilities and so on. They could have their electronics isolated from the grid and hardened to have a large number survive. Then a timer, chemical or mechanical, which starts after EMP are detected activates the sensor and it's radio. The sensor then attempts to join with the other sensors in a packet radio mesh network like PRNET. This way sensors can access data from something like the M1 CBR Kit, as well as other sources, like meteorological sensors. Using this near real-time data, Prime Base would be able to make better decisions where to wake up teams and bases and could even use it as a slow, but usable nationwide communications network.

[cosmicfish]

The thought I had was what about a sensor network It would be fairly easy and cheap to make a bunch of small sensors and place then on utility poles, Morrow Industries facilities and so on. They could have their electronics isolated from the grid and hardened to have a large number survive. Then a timer, chemical or mechanical, which starts after EMP are detected activates the sensor and it's radio. The sensor then attempts to join with the other sensors in a packet radio mesh network like PRNET.

I always figured some type of environmental sensing package had to be attached or available to each bolthole anyway - you need to be able to know what is outside the doors beyond what a periscope can see! So why not put them sensors at a slight distance (maybe 100 yds) from each bolthole and have them communicate by a wire or radio with the bolthole, then have the bolthole use its radio (which it MUST have!) to provide the data automatically to PB

[mmartin798]

I always figured some type of environmental sensing package had to be attached or available to each bolthole anyway - you need to be able to know what is outside the doors beyond what a periscope can see! So why not put them sensors at a slight distance (maybe 100 yds) from each bolthole and have them communicate by a wire or radio with the bolthole, then have the bolthole use its radio (which it MUST have!) to provide the data automatically to PB

Putting such a sensor near bolt holes is fine, but that does little to tell PB about the conditions 10, 25, 100 km from the bolt hole. A mesh network like this could still use the radios in the bolt holes. It just does not require them and adds to the resiliency of the communications.

[cosmicfish]

Putting such a sensor near bolt holes is fine, but that does little to tell PB about the conditions 10, 25, 100 km from the bolt hole. A mesh network like this could still use the radios in the bolt holes. It just does not require them and adds to the resiliency of the communications.

It all depends on how much resolution you require in your environmental mapping. If there are 1000+ boltholes then some decent signal processing could give you a pretty good look at environmental conditions. Would more help Sure, but it adds expense and exposure, and I am not sure that the additional resolution is going to have real meaning when your teams are already an ad hoc mobile sensing network.

I look at the Project like I would look at a satellite - the things you need must be as close to perfect as possible because repair is impractical, and the things that you want but don't need just make it more likely that the whole thing goes down in flames. If you feel that this network is needed, then go for it. Personally, I think added radio traffic and antennas and sensors are the kinds of things that get noticed and endanger the Project.

[RandyT0001]

For a 1989 EOTW game PB will have to rely on TV newscasts and the NWS predictions for weather information. For the 2017 EOTW game there are a couple of nationwide weather networks (WeatherBug, etc.) that PB could use to gather surface readings. In both cases the absence of upper atmosphere weather balloons will make charting those winds impossible. It is the upper atmosphere winds that are important for creating fallout patterns post war.

PB is going to record what it can of the attack and the aftermath. The Project always knew that the information gathered by PB would be limited and that the first recon teams to be revived would be those necessary to complete the assessment. Once that was done then PB could decide where to start the rebuilding process and what resources were needed at those locations to bolster the chance of success.

[mmartin798]

Pre-EOTW, the weather data is not that important. Neither is predicting the fallout pattern. The sensor net I suggested would be near real-time data, so the radiation detector will tell you the exact fallout pattern. The weather sensors would let meteorologists at PB to predict severe weather events and direct more aid to those areas than to ones that will have more temperate weather and can wait a bit longer. Relying solely on fairly widely spaced teams to provide this kind of data seems foolish. The sensor net, using only Morrow Industries sites, would likely be able to let PB map radiation levels, chemical contamination and local weather conditions for most of a state in just an hour. One to three teams would take better than a day to get an idea of the same condition with less resolution. Just seems a packet radio mesh network of sensors would be very useful.

[tsofian]

The Plan
Here is the way I see the original plan for how the Project would roll out post war.
After the war is over Prime Base will continue to conduct a listening watch of all frequencies expected to be used by survivors in the field. This will include Ham, CB, Emergency Services, Military, FAA and others. This listening watch will try and locate the sources of the signals and attempt to determine the local conditions as well as any human activities in the areas. Rather than being information for the archives this is critical intelligence that will be used to make operational decisions.
Prime Base will maintain a large map showing known and suspected radio transmission locations, amount of traffic, type of transmitter, strength and frequency. The language or encryption of the broadcasts will be noted, as will the content of messages. Are the transmissions calls for help Are they traffic associated with combat
The Project will also pick up any data that is still being downloaded by any satellites. This will be hit or miss and wasnt counted on by the Project, since it was possible that the war would destroy every orbital device in existence. However Prime Base was fully equipped to continue monitoring download traffic.
Finally the base was capable of using the small sensor packages (SSP) located at each bolt hole. These packages serve a primary function of letting a recently arisen team know what the conditions just outside their door are like. Their secondary function is to provide Prime with a snapshot of local conditions around each bolt hole. The SSP is connected to the bolt hole radio receiver and spends most of its time in a powered down mode. It can be activated in any of a number of ways. It should be automatically activated if the bolt hole wake up sequence is initiated in any manner. It can also be placed in active mode without impacting the rest of the bolt hole, either via a coded radio signal or manual at the bolt hole itself.
Once activated the SSP has the following functions: Weather Module-Temperature, Humidity, Wind Speed and Direction, and the M8A1 Chemical agent monitor that can detect nerve agent. The data that this collects will require very little band width and can easily be sent via radio back to Prime. This means that the bolt hole needs a transmitter as well as a receiver. I would feel this would be shortwave and the data will transmit twice a day as the atmospherics will be good for long range transmission.
So Prime Base will be collecting data from each of the bolt holes and logging all the information as well as that collected from other radio sources.
This data will be used to build a map of the continent and will help determine what areas will be slated for Project help and which teams will be recalled. In any area the first teams up will be Recon. As soon as the Recon teams get the lay of the land Prime will wake up other resources as required by the situations. Ideally the next groups out will be teams to restore communications infrastructure, and satellites, the prewar microwave towers and long range radio networks. Science Teams will start doing more advanced analysis of the environment and begin developing recovery plans with the support of Engineering Teams. Logistical teams will salvage and recover resources as well getting materials that have been pre-staged by the Project. MARS teams will be recalled if other teams find themselves in conflict with locals. As more Project resources are recalled in an area MARS teams will be added as a precaution. In general once six teams are awakened four MARS teams will be recalled, and a ration of two Mars teams will be activated for each additional six non-Mars teams thereafter. MARS teams will also provide manpower resources for other teams and for efforts as a whole.
The initial regions selected will be those that do not have radio traffic that indicates the presence of large military units or widespread violence. Only after secure base areas have been developed will the Project even scout those areas, if at all possible.

[ArmySGT.]

Where are you going to locate the various transmitters necessary for PB to communicate to the outside I am still for burst comms through a chain of antennas in a staggered pattern. This confuses radio direction finding shout in catch even a few of the milisecond bursts.

[mmartin798]

This brings into question the planners thinking about OPSEC once the base is in its active role. One school of thought is that COMINT leakage is not a problem, because the base is working and revealing its location is not an issue. The other would be the planners knew of some persistent threat and felt the need to maintain proactive measures to counter COMINT.

Giving the events at Prime Base with Krell, it would seem the former to be the case. However Bruce knew, according to 4th ed canon, that Krell was a persistent threat to the Project. We also know the Bruce did not want to be included in the planning for Prime Base so he has no knowledge of its location and presumably little input into its planning. It is also possible that Bruce passed information to the planners early that there may be parties that would make trouble at Prime if its location were haphazardly announced, and pushed for signals security even in the active phase.

Each of these scenarios have problems reconciling the published events at Prime and secrecy of the base's construction and passive operational phase. As already mentioned, the physical interconnecting of the antennas and the transmitters introduces secrecy challenges. Because if someone it curious enough, they will ask themselves why there are all these antennas interconnected and terminating at this fiber optic cable going off into uninhabited desert mountains and they will try to find out.

[ArmySGT.]

I am in a divided camp.

I think signals security was rigidly enforced from the start of the war, through the listening and recording phase, and into the first stage (recon teams) activation.

However, I think that with the intended activation of the bulk of the Project, Regional Bases and Combined Groups, the deception would be dropped.

After all, a 4000 foot runway for cargo aircraft was intended.