Tom Clancy's Op-Center
Encyclopedia
Tom Clancy's Op-Center is a novel series, created by Tom Clancy
and Steve Pieczenik
, though the series is actually written by Jeff Rovin.
For a full list of characters: List of characters in the Op-Centre series
. They handle both domestic and international crises. Director Paul Hood reports to the president
himself, and what had started as "an information clearinghouse with SWAT
capabilities" now has the singular capacity to monitor, initiate, and manage operations worldwide. The organization had its own paramilitary response team, called the Stryker team, named by an Op-Center member who was a soccer fan, composed of members of the U.S. military special operations community. The series also mentioned similar organizations from England, whose response team was called Bengal, and Russia, with a team called Hammer.
It is headquartered
in a nondescript, two-story building located near the Naval Reserve
flight line at Andrews Air Force Base
that used to be a ready room, a staging area for crack flight crews. In the event of a nuclear attack, it would have been their job to evacuate key officials from Washington, D.C.
series, created by the same men as Op-Center but written by Steve Perry
(and later cowritten with Larry Segriff). No direct connection has yet been drawn between the two series, however.
as Paul Hood, newly minted director of the "OP Center".
In The Simpsons
episode "Sweets and Sour Marge
", it reveals that Moe Szyslak
's favourite book is Tom Clancy's Op-Center.
Tom Clancy
Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. is an American author, best known for his technically detailed espionage, military science, and techno thriller storylines set during and in the aftermath of the Cold War, along with video games on which he did not work, but which bear his name for licensing and...
and Steve Pieczenik
Steve Pieczenik
Steve Pieczenik, MD, PhD is an American psychiatrist, former State Department official, author and publisher.-Early Life and Education:...
, though the series is actually written by Jeff Rovin.
Main characters
These characters are in most or all books:- Paul Hood: The director of Op-Center and former Mayor of L.A.
- General Mike Rodgers: deputy director of Op-Center and commander of the STRIKER team, Op-Center's Military branch
- Bob Herbert: Chief of Intelligence
- Matt Stoll: In-house computer genius
- Darrel McCaskey: The FBI Liaison
- Lowell Coffey II: Op-Center's lawyer
- Liz Gordon: Op-Center's psychologist
For a full list of characters: List of characters in the Op-Centre series
Novels
The books in the Tom Clancy's Op-Center series:| # | Title | Publication date | ISBN | Authors | Plot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Clancy's Op-Center | 1995 | 978-0786204915 | Jeff Rovin | Op-Center dealt with many anti-unification terrorists in Korea trying to provoke a new war. |
| 2 | Mirror Image | 1995 | 978-0425150146 | A hardline coalition in the Russian government plots against the new president of Russia, backed by the Russian equivalent of OpCenter. | |
| 3 | Games of State | 1996 | 978-0425151877 | A millionaire funds Neo-Nazi activity in Europe, while plotting to insert subliminal messages of hate into the mass media. | |
| 4 | Acts of War | 1996 | 978-0425156018 | Syrian, Kurdish terrorists plotting a political assassination take hostage of the Regional Op-Center: employees testing a prototype mobile surveillance post. | |
| 5 | Balance of Power | 1998 | 978-0425165560 | Jeff Rovin | The murder of an Op-Center representative (Martha Mackall) leads to a faction trying to provoke a Spanish Civil War. |
| 6 | State of Siege | 1999 | 978-0425168226 | Jeff Rovin | Rogue soldiers seize the UN complex in New York and demand a hefty ransom for the release of their diplomatic hostages (including Hood's daughter, Harleigh). Now it's personal, and Hood has returned to Op-Center to save his daughter. |
| 7 | Divide and Conquer | 2000 | 978-0425174807 | Jeff Rovin | Op-Center seeks the help of their Russian counterpart in tracking the legendary assassin, The Harpooner. Meanwhile, Paul Hood is called in when it appears the President might be undergoing a mental breakdown. |
| 8 | Line of Control | 2001 | 978-0425180051 | Jeff Rovin | The Striker Team, cut off without support, has to fend for their survival on the line of demarcation between India and Pakistan. |
| 9 | Mission of Honor | 2002 | 978-0425186701 | Jeff Rovin | Op-Center has to work with the Vatican and Spanish Special Forces when an African rebel group takes hostages at several missions. |
| 10 | Sea of Fire | 2003 | 978-0425190913 | Jeff Rovin | High traces of radiation found on a corpse, lead to a company selling nuclear waste to terrorists. |
| 11 | Call to Treason | 2004 | 978-0425195468 | Jeff Rovin | When Mike Rodgers is fired due to budget cuts, he goes to work for a corrupt senator and gets embroiled in the vicious world of Washington politics. |
| 12 | War of Eagles | 2005 | 978-0425199626 | Jeff Rovin | Op-Center is under new management as Paul Hood is reassigned to a Pennsylvania Ave. appointment. At the same time, bombings in Charleston, Durban, and Taiwan, may signify the outing of a feud within the Chinese government. |
Op-Center
Although familiarly called "Op-Center", the actual name of the largely autonomous agency is the "National Crisis Management Center". The charter of the NCMC, or Op-Center, is unlike any other in the history of the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. They handle both domestic and international crises. Director Paul Hood reports to the president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
himself, and what had started as "an information clearinghouse with SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
capabilities" now has the singular capacity to monitor, initiate, and manage operations worldwide. The organization had its own paramilitary response team, called the Stryker team, named by an Op-Center member who was a soccer fan, composed of members of the U.S. military special operations community. The series also mentioned similar organizations from England, whose response team was called Bengal, and Russia, with a team called Hammer.
It is headquartered
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in a nondescript, two-story building located near the Naval Reserve
United States Navy Reserve
The United States Navy Reserve, until 2005 known as the United States Naval Reserve, is the Reserve Component of the United States Navy...
flight line at Andrews Air Force Base
Andrews Air Force Base
Joint Base Andrews is a United States military facility located in Prince George's County, Maryland. The facility is under the jurisdiction of the United States Air Force 11th Wing, Air Force District of Washington ....
that used to be a ready room, a staging area for crack flight crews. In the event of a nuclear attack, it would have been their job to evacuate key officials from Washington, D.C.
Net Force
The third Op-Center novel, Games of State, briefly alludes to the concept of a "Net Force". This concept was later expanded into its own Net ForceNet force
In physics, net force is the total force acting on an object. It is calculated by vector addition of all forces that are actually acting on that object. Net force has the same effect on the translational motion of the object as all actual forces taken together...
series, created by the same men as Op-Center but written by Steve Perry
Steve Perry (author)
Steve Perry is an American television writer and science fiction author.-Biography:Perry is a native of the Deep South. His residences have included Louisiana, California, Washington and Oregon...
(and later cowritten with Larry Segriff). No direct connection has yet been drawn between the two series, however.
In other media
OP Center was a 1995 made-for-TV movie starring Harry HamlinHarry Hamlin
Harry Robinson Hamlin is an American film and television actor, known for his role as Perseus in the 1981 fantasy film Clash of the Titans, and as Michael Kuzak in the legal drama series L.A...
as Paul Hood, newly minted director of the "OP Center".
In The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Sweets and Sour Marge
Sweets and Sour Marge
"Sweets and Sour Marge" is the eighth episode of The Simpsons thirteenth season. It first aired on the Fox network in the United States on January 20, 2002. In the episode, Homer gathers several of Springfield's citizens to participate in creating the biggest human pyramid in the world...
", it reveals that Moe Szyslak
Moe Szyslak
Momar / Morris "Moe" Szyslak is a fictional character in the American animated television series, The Simpsons. He is voiced by Hank Azaria and first appeared in the series premiere episode "Simpsons Roasting on an Open Fire"...
's favourite book is Tom Clancy's Op-Center.