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Ground Force One
Buses used to transport the President of the United States and dignitaries.

Ground Force One is the unofficial code-name for the black armored buses used to transport the president of the United States and other dignitaries. When the president was onboard, one of the code names for the bus was "Stagecoach".

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History

The United States Secret Service formerly used rented buses as part of the presidential motorcade, with retrofitting for secure communications where necessary.3 In August 2011, the Secret Service introduced a new permanent addition to the federal government's fleet, initially for use by Barack Obama in the campaign leading up to the 2012 presidential election.45

The model X3-45 VIP was designed and built as a conversion shell on a three-axle chassis by Quebec, Canada-based specialist firm Prevost Car, and then fitted out by Hemphill Brothers Coach Company in Nashville, Tennessee, to provide 505 square feet (46.9 m2) of interior space, including flashing police-style red and blue lights on the front and the back. It was then further outfitted by the Secret Service with secure communications and other specialized equipment. The two buses cost $1.1 million each6 and were leased from Hemphill Brothers during the Obama administration.7 According to the Secret Service, Prevost was the only manufacturer that had a vehicle which could support the weight of the required security and communication equipment. Senator John McCain criticized Obama for using a Canadian-sourced bus, but the tour bus used by McCain during his 2008 "Straight Talk" tour also was built by Prevost.8

The coaches are part of the federal government fleet and are painted plain black, but can be wrapped in campaign materials at the campaign's expense.9 The second bus was used by Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney during the campaign leading up to the 2012 presidential election, and then deployed as a back-up for visiting dignitaries.

In 2020, Mike Pence was transferred from Ground Force One to a limo after it was involved in a minor crash while traveling in western Pennsylvania. The bus was wrapped in Trump-Pence campaign livery and was not damaged.10

A wrapped bus was used by the Harris-Walz campaign in 2024.11

See also

References

  1. Luke Johnson (17 October 2011). "John McCain Blasts Obama Jobs Tour, Campaign Bus: 'I Have Never Seen An Uglier Bus'". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 17 October 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/17/john-mccain-obama-bus-ugly_n_1016607.html ↩

  2. "Obama Debuts New Presidential Bus on Rural Tour". ABC News. August 16, 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2025. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret-service-bus-rolls-president-obama-midwest-rural/story?id=14317203 ↩

  3. "Obama Debuts New Presidential Bus on Rural Tour". ABC News. August 16, 2011. Retrieved 27 March 2025. https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/secret-service-bus-rolls-president-obama-midwest-rural/story?id=14317203 ↩

  4. Landler, Mark (August 17, 2011). "'Ground Force One,' a Custom-Made Ride". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2025. https://archive.nytimes.com/thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/17/ground-force-one-makes-its-midwest-debut-with-obama/ ↩

  5. Farley, Robert (25 August 2011). "Obama's Canadian-American Bus". FactCheck. Retrieved 17 October 2011. http://www.factcheck.org/2011/08/obamas-canadian-american-bus/ ↩

  6. Richardson, Chris (August 17, 2011). "$1.1 million bus used by Obama has high-tech defenses – but what are they?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 27 March 2025. The Secret Service used a fund for transportation and armored vehicles to buy two of these buses from the Hemphill Brothers Coach Company for a total of $2,191,960. No word on whether the company will make more, but Cadillac said they would not make The Beast for any private customers or foreign country saying the design is "very private and secretive." Chances are these buses are two of a kind and will remain so. https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/The-Vote/2011/0817/1.1-million-bus-used-by-Obama-has-high-tech-defenses-but-what-are-they ↩

  7. Farley, Robert (25 August 2011). "Obama's Canadian-American Bus". FactCheck. Retrieved 17 October 2011. http://www.factcheck.org/2011/08/obamas-canadian-american-bus/ ↩

  8. Alberts, Sheldon (October 18, 2011). "McCain insults Obama's 'ugly' Canadian bus". National Post. Retrieved 27 March 2025. https://nationalpost.com/opinion/sheldon-alberts-mccain-insults-obamas-ugly-canadian-bus ↩

  9. Trevithick, Joseph (2024-08-20). "Secret Service's "Ground Force One" Presidential Armored Bus Emerges Wrapped For Harris-Walz Campaign". The War Zone. Retrieved 2024-09-15. https://www.twz.com/news-features/secret-services-ground-force-one-presidential-armored-bus-emerges-wrapped-for-harris-walz-campaign ↩

  10. "Vice President Mike Pence's Campaign Bus Involved In Minor Crash; 2 Pittsburgh Police Officers Injured Following 2nd Collision". CBS Pittsburgh. 2020-07-30. Retrieved 2024-09-15. https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/vice-president-mike-pence-bus-crash-greensburg/ ↩

  11. Trevithick, Joseph (2024-08-20). "Secret Service's "Ground Force One" Presidential Armored Bus Emerges Wrapped For Harris-Walz Campaign". The War Zone. Retrieved 2024-09-15. https://www.twz.com/news-features/secret-services-ground-force-one-presidential-armored-bus-emerges-wrapped-for-harris-walz-campaign ↩