The Last of Us, The Walking Dead, 28 Years Later, and any zombie movie or series are really fun to binge-watch. But have you wondered how humanity might actually organize itself when civilization collapses? You might even have a plan when this happens (hopefully not), and you’re not alone with that.

The U.S. military once developed a plan for this exact scenario, zombies in general. The plan is called “CONPLAN 8888,” or, if you prefer a more dramatic title, “Counter-Zombie Dominance.”

Again, this is real in the sense that it’s used for training, not as an operational plan, because who wants a zombie apocalypse? But for preparation purposes, this plan is created to teach officers how to write a fully packed contingency plan, if this happens.

How Did They Come up With CONPLAN 8888?

There are so many questions about the plan, like when it started, whose idea it is, and why have a plan when it’s not going to happen. All of that will be addressed, don’t worry!

Before we dive in, you have to learn the word “CONPLAN,” which stands for “Concept Plan.” It’s a framework that outlines potential responses to hypothetical threats, hence, CONPLAN 8888 or CONOP 8888 (Concept of Operations).

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CONPLAN 8888 started around 2009, when planners at the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) wanted to do something to use for operational planning exercises. When it’s about operational planning exercises, of course, they would need an engaging and neutral scenario without referencing any real-world crisis.

Did we have a zombie apocalypse at that time? No. So the junior military officers who were under training thought that zombies fit perfectly for this planning exercise.

Even though it was just a concept plan, it followed the same serious planning format used for real disaster response. So when the plan was written, it became an internal exercise in applying the Joint Operational Planning and Execution System (JOPES), the same method used to plan actual missions.

Interestingly, the author of the document inserted a disclaimer right at the beginning, saying:

This plan was not actually designed as a joke. During the summers of 2009 and 2010, while training augmentees from a local training squadron about the Joint Operations Planning Process (JOPP), members of a USSTRATCOM component found out (by accident) that the hyperbole involved in writing a ‘zombie survival plan’ actually provided a very useful and effective training tool.

Some might think of this as a joke, but hey, better to be prepared than to be sorry!

What Does the Plan Look Like?

The CONPLAN 8888 reads like a legitimate operations document. It has a mission statement, an execution phase, and even rules of engagement. So when the zombies are coming, it might come in handy!

The purpose of the plan reads:

This plan fulfills fictional Contingency Planning Guidance (CPG) tasking for USSTRATCOM to develop a comprehensive JOPES Level 3 plan to undertake military operations to preserve "non-zombie" humans from the threats posed by a zombie horde.

Because zombies pose a threat to all "non-zombie" human life (hereafter referred to as "humans"), USSTRATCOM will be prepared to preserve the sanctity of human life and conduct operations in support of any human population-including traditional adversaries.

From there, it moves to six operational phases, which mirror the same framework in real crisis response.

1. Phase 0 - Shape the Environment
2. Phase 1 - Deter
3. Phase 2 - Seize the Initiative
4. Phase 3 - Dominate
5. Phase 4 - Stabilize Environment
6. Phase 5 - Restore Civil Authority

You can look at the plan for more information if curiosity gets the better of you. But each phase lists the detailed goals, the resources, and guidelines.

Zombies That Can Eat Your Brain

Apart from the phases, guidelines, and everything, they even categorized zombie types! Yes, just like in 28 Years Later, there are advanced zombies who think like humans, because after all, they were initially humans. They just evolved.

We’re highlighting below what type of zombies they categorized:

1. Pathogenic zombies
2. Radiation zombies
3. Evil magic zombies
4. Vegetarian zombies
5. Chicken zombies

These are just some of the zombies they highlighted on the plan. The thing is, each of these “species” exists in the plan solely to test how strategies change spending on threat behavior. You can laugh, but it’s actually brilliant.

Are You Prepared for the Apocalypse?

CONPLAN 8888 isn’t just about zombies; it also includes how institutions can prepare for disaster. It’s a training template that doubles as a thought experiment, because what they believe is that if you can plan for a zombie apocalypse, you can build a plan for anything.

Years later, the COVID-19 pandemic somehow proved its relevance. Not specific to zombies, but there was an invisible contagion, social breakdown, and challenges with global coordination. The plan actually made sense.

It’s teaching the masses that it doesn’t matter if a plan sounds absurd, as long as you are exploring ways to have a plan for serious situations. At the end of the day, it’s all about being ready for anything. So, are you ready for the apocalypse if it happens?

Tip: Don’t get your brains eaten!

Read next:

• March, Munch, Repeat: How Military Food Evolved Through the Ages
• Project Iceworm: The U.S. Military’s Secret Cold War Base Hidden Beneath Greenland’s Ice
• That Time When Project Eldest Son Fooled the Viet Cong

Sources:

• CONPLAN 8888
• CONPLAN 8888: The Real Life Government Plan for a Zombie Apocalypse
• CONPLAN 8888: Counter Zombie Dominance Operations