It's a presidential posse that's fit for a king.
President Barack Obama will make his first trip to Europe as commander in chief tomorrow -- and will bring with him armored limos, helicopters and a staggering 500-person entourage that includes a personal chef, a medical staff and hundreds of secret service personnel, the Guardian UK reported.
"When the president travels, the White House travels with him, right down to the car he drives, the water he drinks, the gasoline he uses, the food he eats," one official told the paper. "America is still the sole superpower and the president must have the ability to handle any crisis, anywhere, any time."
The presidential posse of 500 includes a crush of staffers, a six-doctor medical team and 200 secret service -- even Michelle Obama will travel with a staff of eight that includes her secretary, press officers and body guards, the paper reported.
Obama will have all the comforts of home and will even be traveling with a group from the White House kitchen who will prepare his food.
Others on hands include representatives from the White House Military Office, the White House Transportation Agency, the White House Medical Unit, the Marine Corps Helicopter Squadron, the State Department Presidential Travel Support Service, the U.S. Information Agency, the Immigration and Naturalization Service and U.S. Customs, according to the paper.
The president begins his first overseas trip as president in style aboard the fully loaded Air Force One, which is outfitted with a gym, 85 telephones, 19 televisions and a presidential suite, according to the paper.
U.S. & World
Once he touches down in Stansted, England, tomorrow he will be taken by a VH-3D helicopter, Marine One, to the U.S. ambassador's residence in London.
He will also have at his disposal "The Beast" -- the $300,000 presidential limousine that is equipped with a night-vision camera, a tear-gas cannon, oxygen tanks and reinforced steel plating, the paper reported.
Obama will have closed-door meetings with leaders during the G-20 summit this week and will have bilateral talks with leaders from China, Russia and India, to name a few.
