Hidden within the secure files of the United States Strategic Command lies a document that reads like science fiction but is entirely real. Dated April 30, 2011, and marked unclassified, this operational plan outlines a comprehensive strategy for the US military to defend civilization against a very specific enemy: hordes of flesh-eating zombies.
Known officially as CONOP 8888, this detailed protocol is not a prank, nor is it a movie script. It is a legitimate government document that provides a serious, step-by-step guide for military order restoration in the event of a zombie apocalypse.
A Training Exercise Unlike Any Other
The origins of CONOP 8888 lie in a training exercise for junior officers at the US Strategic Command in Omaha, Nebraska. Military planners needed a way to teach the complex concepts of the Joint Operation Planning and Execution System (JOPES) without risking political fallout. Using real countries or specific groups as hypothetical enemies in training scenarios can often lead to diplomatic incidents if the plans leak. To solve this, the instructors chose an adversary that could never be mistaken for a real geopolitical threat. They chose the undead. The document explicitly states in its disclaimer that “this plan was not actually designed as a joke,” emphasizing its utility as a serious educational tool for military strategy.
A Bestiary of the Undead
The document does not treat all zombies as the same. It categorizes them into eight distinct classes to help commanders understand the specific threats they might face. “Pathogenic Zombies” are created by viruses, while “Radiation Zombies” result from extreme electromagnetic exposure. The plan even accounts for “Evil Magic Zombies” born from occult experimentation and “Space Zombies” originating from extraterrestrial toxins.
Perhaps the most surprising entries are the “Vegetarian Zombies,” which pose no direct threat to humans because they only consume plant life, and the “Chicken Zombies.” The document notes that chicken zombies are the only class proven to exist in reality, citing phenomena where old hens are euthanized with carbon monoxide but survive and claw their way out of burial piles.
Total War Against the Walking Dead
CONOP 8888 outlines a six-phase military response identical to those used for conventional warfare. The phases range from “Shape” and “Deter” to “Seize Initiative” and “Dominate.” In the “Dominate” phase, orders are given to “neutralize” all non-human life on sight. The strategy includes the use of barriers, air support, and ground troops to protect the sanctity of human life.
The final phase, “Restore Civil Authority,” focuses on rebuilding destroyed infrastructure and returning legal control to a functioning government. By applying rigorous military logic to an impossible scenario, the authors of CONOP 8888 created a waterproof blueprint for disaster response that remains one of the most unique documents in American military history.