The Situation Room, officially known as the John F. Kennedy Conference Room, is a conference room and intelligence management center in the basement of the West Wing of the White House. It is run by the National Security Council staff for the use of the President of the United States and his advisors (including the National Security Advisor, the Homeland Security Advisor and the White House Chief of Staff) to monitor and deal with crises at home and abroad and to conduct secure communications with outside (often overseas) persons. The Situation Room is equipped with secure, advanced communications equipment for the president to maintain command and control of U.S. forces around the world. Origin and staff The Situation Room was created in 1961 on the order of President John F. Kennedy after the failure of the Bay of Pigs invasion was attributed to a lack of real-time information. The room has secure communications systems built into it, and the walls contain wood panels that hide different audio, video and other systems. The Situation Room staff is organized around five watch teams that monitor domestic and international events. Each watch team includes three duty officers, a communications assistant, and an intelligence analyst, though the number and composition of the teams may vary, depending on shift requirements and workload. The teams are staffed from a pool of approximately 30 senior personnel from various agencies in the intelligence community and from the military. These members are handpicked from heavily vetted nominations made by their parent agencies and are strictly apolitical. They stand watch on a 24-hour basis, constantly monitoring world events and keeping senior White House staff apprised of significant incidents. Functions The mission of the Situation Room is to provide current intelligence and crisis support to the NSC staff, the National Security Advisor, and the President. In effect, the Situation Room is a 24/7 meeting place for sensitive information flowing into and out of the White House. It is also the funnel through which most communications, especially classified information, will pass when the president is not in residence. It is an essential link, providing the traveling White House with access to all the information available from Washington's national security community. The day begins with the watch team's preparation of the Morning Book. Prepared for the President, Vice-President, and most senior White House staff, the Morning Book contains a copy of the National