4 15 24 10 18 AM Foreign Relations of the United States 1977–1980 Volume IV National Security Policy - Office of the Historian FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES 1977–1980 VOLUME IV NATIONAL SECURITY POLICY 56 Memorandum From the Presidentʼs Assistant for National Security A airs Brzezinski to President Carter1 Washington March 20 1978 SUBJECT Questions From Your NMCC Visit Harold Brown has responded with written answers2 to clear up the questions raised during your visit to the National Military Command Center at the Pentagon 3 You need not read through the details I have therefore summed up the crux of the ve answers I 1 paragraph 11 lines not declassi€ed II 1 paragraph 11 lines not declassi€ed III False alarms in our warning system — Since activation of BMEWS in 1960 there have been seven false alarms The CINCNORAD “assessed con dence” was “no” in all cases — The last false alarm was December 1976 IV 1 paragraph 6 lines not declassi€ed V Secretary Brown’s communication checks with you when you are away from Washington — During the rst 24 hours after your arrival at a trip location the WHCA trip o cer normally gives the NMCC in the Pentagon a chance to make a test call — The Secretary of Defense if he makes a test call to you in the future will rst check with your side to determine your availability These answers raise as many new questions as they resolve I draw one overall conclusion Our “C3 I” that is our command and control and intelligence warning is not in the best shape It needs constant review and remedial e ort Your attention keeps up the right kinds of pressure in the Defense Department 4 1 Source Carter Library National Security A airs Brzezinski Material Brzezinski O ce File Subject Chron File Box 86 Defense 1978 Top Secret Sensitive Outside the System The date is handwritten ↩ https history state gov historicaldocuments frus1977-80v04 d56 1 2 4 15 24 10 18 AM Foreign Relations of the United States 1977–1980 Volume IV National Security Policy - Office of the Historian 2 See Document 51 ↩ 3 See footnote 2 Document 50 ↩ 4 Carter drew a vertical line in the right margin of this paragraph and wrote below it “I Agree J ”↩ https history state gov historicaldocuments frus1977-80v04 d56 2 2