Stargate Command

<span class="SFPTagline"> From SCIFIPEDIA </span>

Stargate Command (SGC) is the fictional, top-secret base of operations for the Stargate program on the TV series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. The SGC is located inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex, in Colorado, several levels below NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command). The mission of the SGC is to acquire new alien technologies capable of defending the Earth against its enemies.

The SGC is the embarkation point for all trips through the Stargate and is Earth's first line of defense against attacks via the Stargate. Its location, a thousand feet below the surface, adds a measure of protection, preventing any biological contaminants from escaping into the local population. The location also protects it against nuclear attack from above.

1 History
2 Commanders
3 Facilities
4 Levels
5 Gate Room
6 Control Room
7 Off-Site Bases
8 Other Facilities
9 External Links

History

Cheyenne Mountain entrance

In the movie Stargate, the gate was housed at the Creek Mountain Facility, where it was used to make the Earth's first connection to another planet, Abydos. After the success of the Abydos mission, the facility was shut down. In the series, the stargate is located inside the Cheyenne Mountain Complex.

In 1997, the guards at the mostly abandoned SGC were surprised when the Goa'uld Apophis and his Jaffa came through the gate and launched an attack. The SGC was immediately reopened under the command of General George Hammond, with the goal of discovering and neutralizing the new threat. Colonel Jack O'Neill was recalled, and a new team was sent through the Stargate to Abydos to discover the source of the attack.

On Abydos, the team discovered that the Stargate connected not just to Abydos as they had originally thought, but to many more planets. They also discovered that Ra, whom they had destroyed on their first trip through the gate, was just one among many powerful aliens now aware of their existence. With standing orders to explore other planets in order to gain new technology to defend Earth, a new reconnaissance team was formed. This team, known as SG-1, consisted of Colonel Jack O'Neill, Captain Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and their new Jaffa ally, Teal'c.

In addition to SG-1, several other reconnaissance teams were formed. Each team is titled SG, followed by a number: SG-2, SG-3, SG-4, and so on. There are at least twenty-five SG teams; most, but not all, are composed of four members. Based on the success of SG-1, a team that benefited greatly from the unexpected addition of Dr. Jackson, the teams often include nonmilitary personnel in the form of scientists, archeologists, and even diplomatic personnel on occasion.

Commanders

The SGC (1994–1996) was initially under the command of Major General West in the Stargate movie.
The SGC reopened under the command of General George Hammond (1997–2004). When the lives of his granddaughters were threatened by the NID, he retired, and command was temporarily given to Major General Bauer. General Hammond returned to command after this incident.
Due to political maneuvering by Vice President Robert Kinsey, Hammond was promoted to Homeworld Security, and command of the SGC was given to the SGC's first civilian commander, Dr. Elizabeth Weir.
Dr. Weir's command was short. She moved on to the Antarctic base, and Brigadier General Jack O'Neill (2004–2005) took over.
Jack O'Neill presumably moved on to Homeworld Security in 2005, and Major General Hank Landry became the present commander.

Facilities

Stargate Command covers multiple levels, divided into two sections: levels 1–12 and 12–28. It has its own water resources, a reservoir with a 1.5 million gallon capacity. Air from the outside is filtered to eliminate chemical and biological contaminants.

Access to the base is restricted to authorized personnel who must go through a series of checkpoints. Cheyenne Mountain is guarded by military personnel at all times and, inside the mountain, the SGC operates 24 hours a day.

Levels

Levels 1–4 house the administrative sections of the SGC and NORAD, which include payroll and accounting. This is the area where visitors to the SGC stay until they are authorized to enter other areas of the facility.

Level 1—Has minimal staff and is the location of the air purification system.
Level 2—NORAD.
Level 3—Accounting and Payroll.
Level 4—IOA (International Oversight Advisory), secondary mess hall, and offices.

Levels 5–10—Mainly storage areas for equipment and supplies.

Level 5–7—Homeworld Security offices and storage for nonperishable foods. When fully stocked, the SGC can store enough food to last for three months.
Level 8–9—Power generation plant, internal reactor, and the distribution grid for the entire base. The internal reactor is used mainly for emergencies. During normal operations, power is usually drawn from surface resources.
Level 10—Air-processing plant directs air from the first levels. This level also holds the upper portion of the water purification system and storage tanks.

Level 11 is a security checkpoint. From this point, another elevator system must be used to reach levels 12–28. Level 11 contains the lower portion of the water storage tanks and air purification system. There is also a power substation on this level.

Levels 12–15 are mainly housing, with SGC military personnel on levels 12–14, and SGC civilian personnel on level 15.

Level 16 holds the secondary command bunker and security station for monitoring the facility. There are holding cells on this level, and a small mess hall. In case of an emergency, the command bunker allows for communication to the outside world. It is also used to monitor training exercises and prepare new officers for membership on an SG team.

Level 17 is largely undeveloped, and is used as a firing range and as storage. It has been set aside for future expansion.

Levels 18–20 are small laboratories and offices.

Level 18—Department of Research and Development; labs and offices for civilian personnel, including Dr. Jackson's lab.
Level 19—Science labs, including those of Lt. Col. Samantha Carter, Dr. Jay Felger, and Dr. Bill Lee. This level also contains observation rooms, diagnostic imaging, an emergency hazmat station, and a secondary armory.
Level 20—Manufacturing facilities for specialized equipment.

Level 21 houses the main medical facilities, including surgery, intensive care, isolation, rehabilitation, quarantine, and autopsy.

Level 22 is the location of the mess halls, in the form of two dining areas, quarters for offworld/foreign visitors, and the main kitchen. The level also contains a small number of private quarters.

Level 23 provides emergency engineering and the secondary power grid. In the event of a power failure on levels 8 and 9, this secondary power grid will provide power for the base for several hours.

Level 24 is another level set aside for future expansion. This level is mainly a maintenance garage and storage area for the MALPs, UAVs, and FRED drones. Level 24 also houses the SGC mainframe computer.

Levels 25–26 feature quarters for senior staff, SG teams and commanders, and the base commander. VIP quarters are also on this level. SG team locker rooms are on this level, as well as staging areas for mission assignments. Level 26 provides more senior quarters, as well as food storage.

Levels 27–28 are the main activity areas for SGC operations. The main briefing room is on level 27, while the gate room and control room are on level 28.

Gate Room

Also referred to as the Embarkation Room, the gate room is located on the lowest level of the SGC, level 28. The gate room is the central hub of the SGC. This is where the Stargate is stored, watched over by the control room. Once a missile silo, the gate room has large retractable doors above it. These doors open to the surface, allowing the gate to be removed.

Control Room

The control room overlooks the gate room through a large glass window that can be covered by blast doors to shield against possible explosions inside the gate room. It holds the dialing computer, in lieu of a DHD. The dialing computer operates the Stargate and tracks its progress. From this location, the iris (the gate's protective shield) can be opened or closed to prevent entrance to the SGC through the gate.

In cases of greater emergency, a self-destruct mechanism can be activated and deactivated from the control room by two ranking officers. The self-destruct has been activated several times but fortunately has never been completed. It is not powerful enough to destroy the Stargate; an explosion of that size could not be contained within the mountain.

Off-Site Bases

Atlantus Outpost – When a second Stargate was discovered in Antarctica, a research facility was opened at the location. In the episode "Lost City," the Atlantis outpost was discovered in the area. The outpost is the base left behind after the Ancients' departure to the Pegasus Galaxy. Since its discovery, it has been the subject of ongoing research and study and led to the discovery of Atlantis in the distant Pegasus galaxy.
Atlantis – The subject of the Stargate Atlantis series, Atlantis is Earth's latest offworld outpost. The SGC provides support to the city, and has a vested interest in technology and information retrieved from it.
Alpha Site – Designed to be a second base of operations, in case of an attack that compromises the SGC. The original location on P3X-984 was compromised, and the site was moved to a new planet. This planet also came under attack by Anubis.
Beta Site – Established after the Alpha Site was compromised.
Gamma Site – A research outpost. The facility was destroyed when it became overrun by R75 insects in "The Scourge."

Other Facilities

Several other facilities provide service to the SGC, including the notorious military base, Area 51.

Area 51 has undertaken several research projects based on alien technology acquired by SG teams.
The Air Force Academy is a recruiting ground for future SGC personnel.
The Air Force Academy Hospital treats alien refugees, as well as SGC personnel in need of extended care that cannot be provided at the SGC.
Peterson Air Force Base provides transport for SGC personnel around the world and has been the testing ground and production area for the X-301 and F-302.