I was a White House Security Breach

I really was.

It was in the mid 80s (the picture is more recent). I was involved in installation and acceptance of a secure video teleconferencing link between the White House and the Pentagon. My colleagues and I did not hold adequate security clearances for free access to the work location in the basement of the White House. We needed to be escorted everywhere. Even to the toilet.

Getting to the worksite involved showing up at the gate, identifying ourselves to the Uniformed Secret Service who verified that we were on an access list and called for our escorts from the White House Communications Agency. Meanwhile we stepped through a magnetometer while our tools and briefcases etc. were x-rayed and scanned. The Uniformed Secret Service then provided us with a visitor badge on a chain to wear around our necks for the day. We waited at the secret service shack at the gate until our escorts arrived to take us down to the communication equipment rooms under the east wing..

At lunch time our escorts would return us to the gate. We held onto our badges while we walked the city in search of a restaurant. On return from lunch we displayed our badges at the gate and the secret service allowed us to step through the magnetometer. We then called for our escorts who would meet us again for return to work.

One day when a colleague and I returned from lunch and called for our escorts they told us that they were short handed and busy “handling traffic” at the moment and did we mind waiting a little while. It was a warm spring day and we didn’t mind waiting on the White House lawn by the gate.

Meanwhile a chatty uniformed secret service agent at the gate asked why our escort was delayed on such a fine day. When I told him he said well you guys know where your going don’t you? I’ll take you there. So we followed him from the gate into the east wing of the white house. We turn down the right corridor and get to the top of the stairwell leading down into the basement where the communications equipment rooms are located. There was a sign at the top of the stairwell indicating that the area was restricted to certain personnel which apparently did not include the uniformed secret service agent escorting us. The agent said “you guys know where you are going from here right?” and dumped us on our own into the bowls of the White House.

It was an eerie feeling pounding on the iron vault door of the Comms room trying to get the attention of the folks behind the door among the chattering equipment. I had visions of spending the rest of the day being grilled by the secret service.. That didn’t happen but a uniformed secret service agent got a good chewing out.

It was a breach. Was it good enough to make the list?