If you find yourself traveling the back roads of southern Adams county in Pennsylvania, you may be surprised to learn you are in possibly one of the safest places in the country. But before you find yourself immersed in the tranquility of the area, be sure you keep your eyes peeled or you may end up on the wrong side of an interrogation table.
Stowed away in the mountains of Liberty township, resting six stories underground is a United States Government complex knows as Raven Rock. The facility provides communication services for the Department of Defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the National Communications Center. The area is often referred to as Site R, the underground Pentagon or the backup Pentagon, which is exactly what this complex was designed to be.
In 1948 as the cold war with Russia was heating up, plans were developed to build a hidden underground infrastructure. Things began to boil over in 1949 when the Soviets detonated a nuclear explosive, by 1951 construction began. A 1/2 million cubic yards of granite were hauled away from the mountains in as little as 10 months. In 1953 buildings A, B, and C opened, followed 10 years later by buildings D, and E. The entire complex consists of 66 buildings and 716 acres. Beneath the mountains, and hidden behind massive steel doors, the compound houses their own power plant and water reservoir. Within the grounds is a subterranean living quarters, fitness center, medical facility, chapel, and even a convenience store. Its believed to hold enough supplies to last 3,000 people approximately 30 days. This massive underground headquarters is meant to act as the defense headquarters in times of war. It's believed former Vice President Cheney frequented the base quite often in the days following 9/11.
Most of the activities that take place in this massive underground complex are highly classified. In May of 2007 the Federal Register published a Department of Defense policy declaring it unlawful for any person "entering in or on the property...to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map or geographical representation of the Raven Rock Mountain Complex without first obtaining the necessary permission." Guess I better get going! A couple of guys in black suits are knocking at the door...probably just the Mormons again.
