21 Incredible Little-Known Facts About The Secret Service

The Secret Service has often been featured in Hollywood movies and is often portrayed as people who are always around the President. They are always suspicious of their surroundings, carry weapons all the time, swear an oath to protect the President, and wear sunglasses all the time. How much of this is fact and how much is true about the movie?

Well, some of the things that are often shown on TV are not exactly far from the truth, as the Mount Weather. There are also other things that you might not know about working as a Secret Service agent. And here, we are about to expose all those secrets to the public. Well, they are made public, so it's not wrong per se to know and it's not like personal dangerous information can be got. Like how nobody would find their headquarters easily because they never put any label on it. And you might be shocked to even know the sheer number of agents from this organization!

#1 It's a big family.

There are more than 6,500 elite soldiers in the Secret Service and more for personal protection unit.

#2 The Secret Service guards other important figures as well.

As shown in the picture, they protect the Pope during his visit and also the family members of everyone that has been President.

#3 There are three phases to working as an agent.

From office work to the field, every agent is required to do office work for a few years before they are deployed to the field. Finally, they will get to choose where they want to work specifically at.

#4 They are trained for bullets and water.

Survival is key and these elite soldiers are required to not just be strong but also alert and ready for any kind of scenario that may happen.

#5 First Aid knowledge is a must.

No doubt, the Secret Service agents are required to know first aid.

#6 They always carry a pack of presidential blood with them everywhere.

Because they cannot risk having unknown donors to donate their blood, so they are required to know how to transfuse blood during emergency situations.

#7 Mount Weather is very real.

This is not just some kind of conspiracy or imagination in movies. It's a bunker used to protect government and has been used once before.

#8 And here are the codenames of everyone important in the White House.

These codenames are very real and the agents will always come up with a new codename for every new individual that joined the house. Barrack Obama was Renegade and Donald Trump is Mogul.

#9 The presidential room has floor sensors.

The President should never be, at all cost, be left alone according to the rule of Secret Service. But if situation comes to it, the floor sensors in this room will detect everything and anything that walks in and out.

#10 They have new hobbies right away.

Even if you hate it, the agents are required to take part in all of the President's hobbies. Including running, jogging, well, everything.

#11 They also go to the doctor with the President.

They are closer than family - even in sickness, they are there for the President. Literally.

#12 They trace back all threatening messages.

If you are planning to throw a joke of this level, don't. The Secret Service, in all seriousness, will know it and you will be in deep trouble. They even have a database of inks to match with every letter and email sent.

#13 Cameras are important.

They always have eyes on everything because they cannot risk losing the chance to spot perpetrators or protect the President before anything happen.

#14 No oath to protect the President with life.

Well, this one is apparently a myth!

#15 The only Secre Service agent that died for the President.

Their act of heroism is always voluntary and so far, only one agent has died while in the line of duty. Leslie Coffelt passed away in Nov 1, 1950 while protecting Harry Truman.

#16 Secret HQ.

They have a headquarter alright, but it's going to be hard to find it. There is no name display, not even trashcans.

#17 Secret Service was suggested the same day Lincoln passed away.

The Secretary of Treasury then, Hugh McCulloch, suggested to establish a group of elite soldiers on April 14, 1865, the day Lincoln was assassinated when he went to the theater.

#18 Secret Service was not made to protect the President.

At least, it wasn't the main purpose of it. Initially, the main purpose was to deal with counterfeits and financial frauds.

#19 No sunglasses even outdoor.

The agents are not allowed to wear one to ensure that they can clearly see everything at all times.

#20 They make mistakes.

Just like in the movies, the Secret Service is not perfect and make mistakes. Like that time when a man with knife jumped into the perimeter of White House from the fence.

#21 Their hands are always in ready position.

They cannot be at rest. They always need to be ready at any situation. Different hand positions can be seen, but they all send the same message.