The Nuke-Proof US Military Base in a Mountain

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Video written by Ben Doyle
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[@matthewmerchant2038]

"This video was supposed to come out on Christmas" Half as Effort

[@jogandsp]

Lmfao

[@Nathan-hc3pg]

half ass* effort lmao

[@leonkernan]

Ben had one job

[@35447]

@@Nathan-hc3pg r/whoosh

[@MirzaAhmed89]

He's 11 months ahead of schedule.

[@mitwhitgaming7722]

Stargate reused the same footage of the door closing every time there was an emergency. Probably because it was actual footage at Cheyenne Mountain. It has been burned into my brain.

[@kv4648]

I thought you were talking about the billionaires' new AI program

[@battlesheep2552]

Also the kawhoosh is an engine block falling into a pool as seen from underwater. They only did it once and they shot it from a bunch of different angles, so every kawhoosh is the same.

[@kamilstenzel3929]

As far as I know all the establishing shots are 100% real with actual soldiers. They got permission to film but there was absolutely no way they'd let a civilian near the entrance

[@charliegolf2730]

@@kamilstenzel3929 That is correct! Every shot showing a vehicle leave or enter, soldiers walking around the complex entrance etc. were shot on location, with the real soldiers. They just reused these shots throughout the show. Watch it closely and you'll notice it quickly.

[@EGRJ]

​@@kv4648Bait bot.

[@davidholden3386]

Allegedly there is also a janitor's closet in Cheyenne Mountain Complex that is called "Stargate Command", in tribute to the TV franchise

[@pseudotasuki]

[shifty eyes] Yes, a janitor's closet. Not a facility housing a device capable of opening portals to similar devices placed all over the galaxy.

[@wschmrdr]

@@pseudotasuki And yet, you can hear in the distance: "Chevron 1 encoded."

[@theincrediblefox]

The fact that Stargate wasn't even mentioned once in this entire video makes me disproportionally angry.

[@BrianMelancon]

Don't worry, it is mentioned in about half the comments. The interesting ones.

[@bizmen81]

@@BrianMelancon Indeed

[@The5paceDragon]

My disappointment is immeasurable, and my day is ruined.

[@randyross5630]

Yeah... But Stargate does not have the same Rewatchability as the Older Star Treks... Like I have never Rewatched Star Gate, yet I have Watched Star Trek (and the Animated Original), Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Enterprise all 3 Times, (even Voyager Twice) and are Starting for a 4th Pass, because it has been over a Decade, but I have never once went back to Star Gate... I just Finished my 3rd Round of Babylon 5, thinking for going another Go at Farscape, but Star Gate? I am Good...

[@raznaak]

​@@randyross5630Who cares?

[@RandomDefence]

Stargate Command can deal with a lot of internal and external threats.

[@sizanogreen9900]

The Stargate also helps to supply the Bases occupants indefinitly during an external siege. Kinda weird that they didn't mention it in the video.

[@robloggia]

Atlantis is still floating out in the bay as well. Not sure on ZPM status, though.

[@wschmrdr]

@@robloggia They depleted it trying to dial Destiny again.

[@rogermac358]

I was working for a janitorial supply company in the Denver area back in the mid 90's. One of our customers in Colorado Springs was the janitorial contractor at Cheyenne Mountain. It took about 5 weeks to get a background check and security clearance just to be able to drive the truck into the North portal to the first blast door to unload the deliveries. I was not allowed past the inner checkpoint, but was able to get a tour of the mechanical facilities and one of the two lakes inside the mountain. Very cool experience!

[@God-ch8lq]

did u get to see the stargate?

[@Dacoldest23]

This is why ou were background checked lol

[@jfbeam]

And yet, f'ing YT'ers have been given "complete" tours of the place.

[@Weretyu7777]

Fun fact about the Santa tracker: it actually came about because of more than a few calls placed to NORAD in 1955 from kids asking about Santa because of a misprinted Sears advertisement that accidentally listed their number. With that in the back of their minds, when someone jokingly placed a picture of Santa's sleigh on their tracking board, the commander of the base saw it as an opportunity for some free PR and came up with the idea.

[@daverapp]

It's worth noting that everything in this video was only the features of the base *that are declassified.* Presumably the base has additional layers of defense and redundancies that no one outside the base knows about. I think it's also reasonable to assume that the base goes *much* deeper into the mountain than is publicly known.

[@stargazer7644]

Cheyenne mountain is not expected to survive any modern precision guided nuclear attack. That's why they haven't used it for nearly 20 years.

[@TK503]

"Sharks with fricken lasers on their heads"

[@LuxFerre4242]

Yeah, they've got the embarkation room way down on sub level 28.

[@chaaaake]

Suprised they wrote that whole script without a single stargate reference

[@ShEsHy]

100% the writer is under 30 years old.

[@randyross5630]

@@ShEsHy Doesn't that mean you are Gay these Days? Being Under 30? Aren't they all Gay?

[@ShEsHy]

@@randyross5630 Does it? First time I'm hearing it. Kind of a weird stereotype if you ask me. I wrote that the writer must be under 30 because virtually anyone over 30 would've known about the show, even if they didn't watch it, and with the light-hearted tone of this channel it would definitely get a mention at least.

[@aliensinnoh1]

See, when I think of Cheyenne Mountain Complex, I think of Terminator 3.: Judgement Day.

[@jeffbenton6183]

​@randyross5630 At some point in the past few years, Sam revealed his age and I determined that he was 2 years younger than me. I'm 29, so it looks like your educated guess is exactly right

[@sammymarrco47]

No wonder they put the Stargate here, very protected

[@IamNOTatoaster91]

dammit. beat me to it

[@xirfan]

It's to keep the explosion contained if the gate goes boom.. again.

[@deancostello001]

You watch this too?!

[@sammymarrco47]

@@deancostello001one of my favorite shows!

[@danielzhang1916]

@@deancostello001 we watch all the stars... Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, Starbucks lol

[@TheStargateNerd]

You've got the South Portal and the North Portal, but the Stargate is also an excellent way to enter and exit the base.

[@Frankie-gq7hf]

Would that be the back portal? The back door? The deep hole? Deep Portal? The ol' orifice..

[@letao12]

@@Frankie-gq7hf Actually, it's called the Embarkation Room.

[@atallshadeofthecolorred6918]

Is this the comment thread where we fiercely discuss why the Stargate program should've used the alpha site as its base of operations instead of exposing Earth directly to incoming threats?

[@greymagic857]

@@atallshadeofthecolorred6918 It is now. They probably should've, but episode 1 showed they already know about earth, so

[@westrim]

Make sure you have a dial home device or you'll go splat.

[@LimeWedgeLoej]

Cheyenne mountain complex isn't nearly as secure as you think. I watched a military document a while back that shows that it houses a secret alien transportation technology and the base was frequently compromised and seemed very easy for the military and bad guys to break out of. It's high on cool factor but actually security seems to have major flaws.

[@markquintonii]

This needs to be pinned. I saw that documentary too!

[@BASS-ALLIANCE-SOUND-SYSTEM]

So for tinfoil hat reasons its not what we think? How do know what we think?

[@sloth0jr]

You almost got me. Very well played!

[@archerelms]

​@@BASS-ALLIANCE-SOUND-SYSTEM they're making a joke about the show Stargate which is set at that base

[@patientallison]

Also one guy was living in the base with one of those alien worm things they were fighting in his stomach and they just let him stay?

[@nyanrxenawang]

this video is about bricks

[@WoodenChickenHead]

Like Spain?

[@potato733]

How many Toyota Corollas is that?

[@notlookme]

It's probably made out of bricks so yeah!

[@ganlet20]

Not really but we're definitely overdue for a brick video

[@iamansumandhar]

I can assure, it is indeed about bricks

[@cherylcrawford3581]

Even if they run out of food and water that they have stored up, they can always use the Stargate to gather more supplies from other worlds.

[@CTSFanSam]

Isn't Amazon nuke proof?

[@samiuseliina]

They would have already sent people to the alpha site in this situation.

[@randyross5630]

@@samiuseliina Dude, you are acting like StarGate is the Older Star Treks or Babylon 5 even, but it is just Star Gate, and no one Cares about their Alpha Site, more like Beta Soy Site!

[@DrHenrik]

I guess nuclear war is only the cover story when someone dials in and tries overcharging the gate also making it impossible to dial out

[@cherylcrawford3581]

@@DrHenrik that is a good point I did not think about that

[@77smp]

A few other responsibilities... Like a STARGATE! I may struggle to determine fact from fiction! 😊

[@PsRohrbaugh]

Stargate is fact. Wormhole x-treme is fiction.

[@CardSearcher911]

​@@PsRohrbaugh or perhaps it's actually Wormhole X-Treme that is fact and Stargate that is fiction. "Plausible deniability. In the event of a future breach of security, we'll be able to point to this television program. That is, if it stays on the air." Looks directly at the camera.

[@paul329]

Not even a mention of the actually very real life door that says "Stargate Command" (It leads to a broom.closet)

[@nathanielhurley7269]

As former military, I can appreciate the long running contract between Subway and the DoD to provide me with teriyaki chicken and endless soft cookies. Necessities for keeping military personnel motivated.

[@WhiskeyNixon]

So, what you're telling me is that the federal government can handle nuclear war but they when it comes to making a sandwich, they need to bring in private business? What the hell, federal government? What the hell?

[@Waldohasaskit210]

Since things are just too important to leave vulnerable to partisan meddling

[@0topon]

The whole purpose of the bunker is to preserve the knowledge of making sandwiches

[@emurphy42]

"We have the biggest foot-longs"

[@letao12]

Do you really want to apply for 3 different permits then wait for a food inspector to sign off on your sandwich before you can eat it?

[@AndyGneiss]

@@letao12 Will it at least use real bread?

[@Fry_tag]

Gen-Z doesn't know about Stargate? Someone must have messed with the timeline again.

[@stargazer7644]

Gen Z doesn't know about WOPR either.

[@LMacNeill]

"This video was supposed to come out on Christmas, but Ben forgot to turn the script in on time." To be fair, he was in Japan, winning Jet Lag: The Game. 😂

[@safebox36]

Also houses the Stargate Program...allegedly 👀...

[@OceanLily]

You mean Deep space radar telemetry correct?

[@genstian]

Its where the stargate is located.

[@bensmart2829]

i live in colorado springs and when i saw this notification i just went “ah it’s about norad innit”

[@FutureSoap]

Just make sure not to accidentally dail Abydos

[@DrHenrik]

the gate on abydos is gone anyway

[@TimRrstrm]

All these youngons not referencing War Games; oh well, I guess I'm old now...

[@sloth0jr]

Yeah, I was thinking the same. Stargate, pfff.

[@patientallison]

​@@sloth0jrI know both!

[@jasonolivarez]

Thank you! I had to hunt the comments for someone to mention Wargames and was getting more and more sad about not finding one.

[@nzhook]

At 43 years old the WOPR has probably been retired. Although even Stargate is 28 years old now, a lot has probably changed in that time.

[@NoNameAtAll2]

how about a nice game of chess?

[@sammymarrco2]

There’s a sad lack of stargate references in this video, the writers need to be educated on the ways of the g a t e.

[@The360MlgNoscoper]

Watch their video on Stargate 😢

[@nvramdotli]

it may be nuke proof, but it surely isn't naquadah-bomb proof ;)

[@danielmeyer5865]

Seems like a good place to run a "hypothetical" space exploration and combat command out of.

[@stargazer7644]

That's a deep space radar telemetry command.

[@EEVblog]

4:20 You had me at Varistor

[@vinnysworkshop]

Absolutely. He likely has zero experience in electronics engineering, and doesn't know how to pronounce "Varistor."

[@stargazer7644]

Vary-stores.

[@MyNinjaPenguin17]

They have to protect the Stargate!

[@dennisbirtcher4522]

Blast doors rated for 30 megatons are fine and all, but could they withstand direct Goa'uld bombardment? The Ori? Replicators? Carter blowing up another sun? These are the real questions.

[@Lolifail01]

Stargate’s go-to door-closing sequence during crises feels oddly nostalgic now. Maybe the real Cheyenne Mountain footage added a sense of authenticity, but it’s stuck in my brain for good.

[@ElysiumCreator]

0:22 Fallout 3 Reference?!? All hail our President John Henry Eden Edit: Also this video is pure propaganda, everyone knows Cheyanne Mountain serves as the headquarters of Stargate Command

[@mattd6085]

Raven Rock existed before Fallout 3

[@alphazero924]

@@mattd6085 Nah I'm pretty sure it was invented by Bethesda

[@skeven0]

Wait until he hears about Whitesprings/Greenbriers in Fallout 76....

[@koshermal]

Other way around. All of the mentioned places are real life places mentioned or used in the FO series. Cheyenne mountain is the location for the last mission in FO:Tactics/Vault 0 for instance. Unless I've misunderstood your comment and you already knew that you might find some fan made maps of IRL locations interesting.

[@thomasrinschler6783]

A few years ago, we camped in Cheyenne Mountain State Park, in campsites in the Raptor Glen loop, which lie literally only feet away from the perimeter fence for the base, and near the entry road. You could definitely hear vehicles headed in and out, and periodically patrols near the fence as well. The campground can be seen in the lower left of the map at 0:45. Very nice campground, with spectacular views of the plains to the east, but it was a bit eerie any time you stopped to think about the location lol...

[@fernbedek6302]

I'm glad half the comments are about the SGC.

[@pyeitme508]

Yep Cheyenne Mountain Complex which is famous in Stargate. XD

[@gfjmember]

As the rest of the comments have pointed out, you forgot the most important feature of the base. Namely Stargate command.

[@Soguwe]

O'Neill! With two L! There is another one, but he has no sense of humour

[@JamesTM]

This video would have been apt at Christmas. But, somehow, it feels even _more_ apt right now. For... reasons.

[@jamcdonald120]

1:40 but not weather balloons.... apparently

[@bernardkealey6449]

Or zeppelins or frisbees.

[@MrWarrenRB]

Or drones

[@asdfate1]

beat me to it

[@chrisdee8957]

it shows a consumer drone lol like Norad can track eagles now aswell ..😂

[@johncage5368]

4:42 "Subway" Sir, you happen to know too much. Please remain at your computer and await termination. 😉

[@rickman460]

Soon we're going to find out if he's suicidal or not ;)

[@lukeh990]

“All stations this is Crystal Palace - stand by for a message from Brass Hat.” If anyone actually gets the reference I’d be very surprised.

[@anewbimproves5622]

Would you like to play a game?

[@sloth0jr]

@@anewbimproves5622 The only winning move is not to play.

[@markyread]

Erm, this is Loring Airforce Base. The senior controller isn't here right now. That day people don't get this reference is the day that Red-Alpha message in two parts from Dropkick should be real and not a training exercise.

[@hrothgar014]

Mr. McKittrick, after very careful consideration, sir, I've come to the conclusion that your new defense system sucks.

[@Illumas]

What? No, I'm sure NORAD is best known for the WOPR.

[@jasonolivarez]

Would you like to play a game? How about a game of thermonuclear war?

[@stargazer7644]

Nobody here remembers great 80s movies.

[@ananegg]

I can't believe you didn't mention all the bricks it was built with or that the StarGate is houses there

[@adamdapatsfan]

Thank you, Ben, for adding some holiday cheer to my January!

[@rjhollinger]

Classic Ben not turning in the script on time

[@bizmen81]

You forgot to mention that Stargate Command is also in Cheyenne Mountain! :D

[@PsRohrbaugh]

In the event of goa'uld invasion Cheyenne mountain is the last place I'd want to be.

[@suzuplaza]

i like how almost every comment is about stargate

[@jessetorres8738]

This reminds me of Mount Weather, which was a government bunker from Season 2 of The CW series The 100.

[@KingBossBob]

0:30 it’s also appeared in various other media like the x files and the day the earth stood still

[@uss_04]

The reason it’s so secure is because it needs to house Stargate Command

[@LENZ5369]

It was built to deal with mid 20th century, nuclear tipped ICBMs -which were crazy inaccurate (like measured in km; inaccurate). Modern 'near peer' missiles; are around 10x more accurate and they carry multiple nuclear warheads per missile -so the payload from 1 or 2 missiles; could probably be enough to cripple or destroy Cheyenne Mountain.

[@Sacto1654]

I think Cheyenne Mountain was already vulnerable by the early 1980's when R-36M (NATO code name SS-18 _Satan_ ) became a fairly accurate missile. I don't think that complex could have survived a close hit from a _25 megaton_ yield warhead. The complex could survive the shockwave but all the entrances and exits would have collapsed, essentially entombing the whole complex permanently.

[@doofer80]

The chances of any nuclear capable missile getting within 200 miles of the facility are much less than 1%

[@n1ckster055]

I don’t really see how more power would help, all that energy would just be redirected upwards 600m of granite is still gonna absorb a and spread out any energy that doesn’t

[@n1ckster055]

You also have to think nukes aren’t designed for ground penetration, there specific bombs such a bunker busters that are made specifically for penetration

[@n1ckster055]

So I think rather than stronger bombs they would definitely use a penatrating warhead

[@aurelioacevedo1312]

“And a non-denominational chapel in case all the other security features fail.”

[@Istram]

Kudos on getting bellroy as sponsor. Finally a brand I can actually recommend as I've used it for years.

[@GKplus8]

It's also the "Nut" in the 3rd Hunger Games book. Regardless, always great to see Colorado show up in a HAI video, and i actually have worked on stuff tangential to CM. (Stuff thats at Peterson usually.)

[@mnm1273]

It's a pleasant surprise to see a new video two days after the last one, unsure if it's intentional

[@mmhoss]

There is simply no chance in hell that there's only two portals lol

[@MedicMainDave]

Yeah, I have also heard about a 3rd Gate of sorts

[@MedicMainDave]

It's baffling that you didn't even talk about their Stargate, there was an entire documentary made about it! :P

[@MtHermit]

I used to live in the shadows of Cheyenne Mountain. I delivered food there one time and shit bricks the entire time. I couldnt tell you how many signs threatening lethal action and cameras there are on that road. Only made that trip once and never want to do it again. I was stationed on a heavily secured base and Norad made me feel like i was going to doe just for driving up to it

[@nova2512]

*That's where they store the Stargate*

[@34doctor34]

Shall we play a game?

[@jasonolivarez]

How about a game of thermonuclear war?

[@busterbeagle2167]

Fun fact, there's a couple apartments in there and there's a certain generals that can drive their car right in there

[@magical_catgirl]

It's best known for hiding Stargate Command, not some fake Santa tracking thing.

[@creid133]

Complaining about them saying Santa instead of a different fictional story, because one is more "fake" than the other, has to be one of the dumbest things I've read in a while

[@Jeza921]

Every time the door closed, I couldn’t help but think, ‘Here we go again.’ Now knowing it’s genuine footage from Cheyenne Mountain makes it feel oddly historic and permanently vivid in my mind.

[@CocoaBeachLiving]

I got a Friends and Family tour, cool place. The Navy tour guide said the huge springs which all the compartments sit on were the 'Colorado Springs'.. 😂😂😂 He also pointed out the 'buildings' were designed and built by the Navy..

[@Penultimeat]

This video woulda hit hard on Christmas

[@kv4648]

Merry Christmas 🎉

[@AdrianHereToHelp]

Shoutout to the animator(s) on this one - the use of 3d is really nice

[@bipolarminddroppings]

That's where the Stargate is kept...

[@meias.]

Would it protect you from the.... Fallout?

[@islippedtheslime]

The 76th fallout maybe?

[@aaroncabatingan5238]

Probably. The facility is basically a space station on underground. They have enough supplies to last them years.

[@meias.]

@@aaroncabatingan5238 yeah, yeah, I heard that part too. I don't know if you know but the question is a reference to the popular video game series Fallout, which takes place in the nuclear post apocalypse.

[@ApocCharging]

Thank the universe for SponsorBlock, cutting out nearly 4 minutes of tangents and sponsor segments

[@romulusnr]

people not knowing about Cheyenne Mountain makes me feel old

[@ANoBaka]

Cheyenne Mountain is required to house the Stargate Command and the stargate itself

[@drakelordiscool]

It hasn't survived a nuke in this timeline, but it has outlived a couple of alien invasions

[@RobDEV]

Stargate command

[@m.m.3479]

Ben is my absolute favorite person on all of KZbin I've seen ❤

[@undefined40]

Makes sense to have that facility secured the most, that houses the star gate. (No, not a conspiracy theory, just a pop culture reference)

[@ValiantValium]

Good to know that the knowledge of the mythical "footlong" will survive

[@BanjoGate]

No mention of the actual secret Stargate command center hidden inside of NORAD? F!

[@Robert-rt9ho]

How could you forget to mention the stargate that’s also in the mountain

[@aselwyn1]

there is also a similar bunker for the Canadian side of Norad in North Bay Ontario. although mostly mothballed they have a additional Norad HQ above it

[@jimurrata6785]

"Kept under constant positive pressure" Please tell how that works if your ventilation shafts are annihilated by bunker busting nukes

[@graemeesmith]

I mean, if all the ventilation shafts to the outside world are sealed off you don't really need to worry about contaminants getting IN any more. You might need to worry about oxygen supply (which I'd be curious about).

[@jimurrata6785]

@graemeesmith You could have massive stores of calcium hydroxide, but I don't understand how positive pressure can be maintained from a fixed volume. ?

[@wyqtor]

Didn't help them much with the Prior Plague unfortunately.

[@SantaFe19484]

This is the first time I have heard of Raven Rock, a nuclear proof bunker only one county away from where I live. Railroads use the term portal to describe the entrances to tunnels as well.

[@Cats-TM]

Actually, Stargate Command and WOPR are housed at the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, not NORAD.

[@daveb4137]

Now do the one in Canada! The backup NORAD facility

[@AUser73-148]

Bro needs to reupload this video after putting in a stargate reference

[@bwhog]

Who knew that Subway was apparently officially a national defense asset?

[@tudorjason]

The springs part is the most fascinating thing about NORAD, IMO.

[@PieMoe]

Imagine being the civilians working inside the NORAD Subway when it's go-time and just hanging out around all the critically-stressed officers responding to a nuclear assault and knowing that while you'll definitely survive Armageddon you'll just be kinda... there, hanging out.

[@InvictusByz]

Oh hell yes. I'm planning a Fallout TTRPG campaign involving the Cheyenne Mountain Complex! I have literally been researching this exact topic! Thank you for this clearly deliberate, personal favor you did for me and me alone! :D

[@MasterGeekMX]

All thing needed to contain the operation of an alien portal to other worlds.

[@guywithinterwebs]

You forgot to mention the star gate program, it's most important function

[@fatrobin72]

a video about the stargate base... just after "stargate" (the stupidly named AI thing) was announced... cool

[@David9PM]

This is why it’s the home of stargate.

[@markyread]

They should have had a Burger King in there that sells WOPRs. Let's see who's old enough to get that reference.

[@billyjoe3309]

I know this place, it's where Stargate command is. They got this!

[@CosmicAggressor]

Ah yes. The facility that is famous for getting nuked or otherwise anihlated out of existance just as soon as the writers remember it is there. Usually with the dozens of direct hits aproach. Most famously in the moon is a harsh mistress.

[@dfitzy]

3:15 ...if you don't count the stargate

[@troysweet4038]

One mistake for the 2025 HAI mistake re-cap: 1:30 Mexico is also part of North America (although it is often overlooked or associated with Latin America)

[@stargazer7644]

Latin America isn't a geographical description, it is a cultural one. The term you're looking for is Central America. Mexico is sometimes included in Central America (the United Nations considers it part of Central America for example) and sometimes included in North America.

[@troysweet4038]

@@stargazer7644 That's a fair point, but in the context of this video Mexico would be considered part of North America since the United States considers it part of Nort America (as highlighted by NAFTA and USMCA)

[@Ignaci0m5]

I absolutely love this videos. I have watched almost all of them, even the ones from like five years ago. They are the highlight of my day. Huge thanks to all the HAI team for this amazing content. It’s like perfect channel for me. Greetings from Chile!! 🇨🇱 P.D: the jokes are the best part