As Paul Harvey used to say, “Just so you don’t run out of things to worry about,” the presidential “doomsday plane” landed at Joint Base Andrews Tuesday night following what sources say was an irregular flight path from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. This is naturally fueling speculation that something big may be going down very soon in the Israel/Iran conflict.
🚨🇺🇸USAF Boeing 747-E4B
Presidential doomsday plane (ORDER01) was scrambled from Barksdale Air Force Base in Shreveport, Louisiana and is circling over Virginia, possibly due to something large happening tonight with Israel 🇮🇱and 🇮🇷Iran. pic.twitter.com/4R5C78hBB0— Todd Paron🇺🇸🇬🇷🎧👽 (@tparon) June 18, 2025
According to the New York Post, the plane, a U.S. Air Force E-4B “Nightwatch,” has 18 bunks, command, briefing, and conference rooms, as well as a rest area spanning three decks. It also comes equipped with electromagnetic, thermal, and nuclear shielding, its own missiles, and thanks to 67 satellite dishes and antennae, its ray dome, it can communicate with any spot on the planet, provided, of course, that those at the spot in question are capable of communicating. It has mid-air fueling capabilities and can stay airborne for a week. The plane boasts a range of 7,000 miles and serves as a command base for the president, the secretary of Defense, and the chairs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It was used during the September 11, 2001, attacks, although the Post notes that it was the aircraft of choice for Donald Rumsfeld during his turn as secretary of Defense under George W. Bush.
There isn’t anything about which to be alarmed. There were plenty of times when I was in fire and HazMat where I was put on “standby” and made sure my gear was ready in case I needed it. Naturally, there will be some, particularly on the Right, who will scream about neocons, “forever wars,” and putting American lives at risk. But any U.S. involvement will not be for the purposes of regime change or making sure that the people happily convert to our form of government. A nuclear Iran is a danger to everyone.
You see, one of my neighbors over the fence has a very aggressive dog. It barks, it howls, it snarls, and sometimes it tries to break through the fence. If you have an aggressive dog, that’s a “you” problem. Once your dog comes through my fence and attacks my dogs, my wife, or me, it becomes an “us” problem. And I’m not going to tolerate an “us” problem. There will be no “us” problem.
As for doomsday planes and predictions? Well, tonight, I am going to open a bottle of chilled Sauvignon Blanc and grill my secret-recipe shrimp (which I may share if no one trolls me too hard in the comments). I’m going to listen to some good jazz, and Mrs. Brown is going to arrange flowers on the patio. Tomorrow, I’m going to negotiate a massive ad buy for our business. Because if I let doomsayers drive me insane, and if I shrink back in fear over a nation that wants to immolate me because of my nationality and religion, half the battle has already been lost. I grew up in the shadow of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base (which has a great museum if you are ever in Dayton, Ohio), DESC, and Monsanto’s Mound facility. Everyone in my hometown knew we were pretty high on the hit parade, if such a time ever came. We didn’t worry about it then, and what will be, will be. Tomorrow is never guaranteed, even under the best of circumstances.
