[FedCom] Renegade Command Post

[Ed]

At 04:32 PM 1/11/2008, Kenny wrote:
>The other day, the day after the New Hampshire Primary Barack Obama 
>was in Boston for a fundraiser. The local Secret Service office was 
>heard operating on the Baker channel 165.7875 using P-25 in the 
>clear working with the "Renegade" Command Post with the usual 
>messages about greeters, press etc. My thought is "Renegade" would 
>be the codename given to Barack Obama.
>
>Kenny




this washington post story seems to confirm the USSS codename for 
Obama is "Renegade."

-ed



'Renegade' Joins Race For White House
Obama Is Given Code Name by Secret Service

By Anne E. Kornblut
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, June 17, 2007; A05

Sen. Barack Obama has a new tag: "Renegade."  Secret Service agents 
are calling the Illinois Democrat, in the time-honored tradition of 
giving "secret" code names to presidential candidates and other 
protected dignitaries. As is custom, the Obama moniker reflects 
something of the man himself (though he might prefer "progressive" or 
"independent").

Is the same true for a woman?

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) may hope so. Her code name is 
"Evergreen," given to her when her husband (former president Bill 
Clinton, a.k.a. "Eagle") first became a protectee.

Other candidates have not been as lucky. Sen. John F. Kerry Mass.) 
was dubbed "Minuteman" after winning the Democratic nomination -- 
and, indeed, lasted not much longer than the name suggested. Former 
vice president Al Gore, sometimes derided as wooden, started out as 
"Sawhorse" but eventually became "Sundance" -- although the reason 
for the change is unclear.

President Bush, a protectee dating back to the days when his father 
was president (and with a reputation for rowdiness before he became a 
teetotaler) is "Tumbler." Former president Jimmy Carter, who taught 
Sunday school, is "Deacon." George H.W. Bush is "Timberwolf," and 
Ronald Reagan was "Rawhide."

Still, according to a Secret Service spokesman, all code names are 
chosen by military officials, suggesting that they should not be 
examined too closely for deeper meaning. The Obama and Clinton 
campaigns declined to comment on the security procedure (they are the 
only two candidates so far to receive official protection, and 
Clinton's is a result of her status as a former first lady).

These days, though, the code names have little to do with actual 
safety; instead they play a more ceremonial and logistical role, 
letting agents bark easily understood directions into their sleeves 
as a protectee is moving from location to location. "There's really 
no secrecy to it," said security expert William H. Pickle, who was 
the special agent in charge of Gore's detail. According to Pickle, 
the names were useful when radio and phone communications were 
unsecured and easily picked up by outsiders; now the military and 
Secret Service can communicate over highly secured lines, making a 
code name irrelevant. Still, habit lives on.

"It started out years ago as a security function, and it had a real 
security aspect. Communications were limited, and it caused enough 
confusion to allow you to have a movement without people 
understanding," Pickle said. "Anymore, though? It's really just for 
convenience -- and tradition."