# How Many USSS Bodyguards?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 27, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854 "2008-10-27T22:35:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/1 "2008-10-27T22:35:09Z")

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Let’s take off our boots and do some math. At present, the United States Secret Service provides protection details for:

The president  
The vice-president  
Brarac  
Joe  
John  
Sara  
and familes.

That is to say six full-size details plus some extras for slack and other minor dignitaries.

Not counting non-bodyguard Secret Service men, they must have well over 600 on bodyguard duty. (figure over 100 for the President, a few less for everyone else).

Does anyone know the actual number?

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**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/2 "2008-10-27T22:42:13Z")

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Bill and Hillary Clinton still have Secret Service protection. Former Presidents and their families get if for ten years after leaving office.

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**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/3 "2008-10-27T22:48:02Z")

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[Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_secret_service) lists 4,400 sworn members

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/4 "2008-10-27T22:54:20Z")

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Yes, but some of those are overhead and others ave non-bodyguard functions.

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**Author:** ![YamatoTwinkie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/cc9497/32.png) [@YamatoTwinkie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YamatoTwinkie)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/5 "2008-10-27T22:56:20Z")

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You’re right, I didn’t see the part where you mentioned “Not counting non-bodyguard Secret Service men” :smack: I imagine the 4400 figure is useful as an upper bound, at least.

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**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\
**Post date:** [October 27, 2008, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/6 "2008-10-27T23:50:42Z")

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DOes someone get the not-quite-good-enough detail?

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**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\
**Post date:** [October 28, 2008, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-usss-bodyguards/469854/7 "2008-10-28T00:20:12Z")

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No, but as posted in another thread, candidate protection had cost $100 million as of two weeks ago., per radio news blurb.