History Main / ThisIsNotADrill

-->(''with great urgency'') Attention, all personnel! General [=MacArthur=] has just passed checkpoint Able! He'll be here in seconds! This is not--repeat--this is not a drill! This is a real emergency!

* [=NATO=] tried extremely hard to play this trope as straight as possible in 1983 during the Able Archer exercises, which were meant to test the robustness of communications and command and control systems in the events leading up to and through the initiation of a nuclear war. Realizing that Soviet signal intelligence would be listening in to all messages, they broadcasted the exercise messages in the clear with EXERCISEEXERCISEEXERCISE as a header. Unfortunately, the Soviet leadership was WrongGenreSavvy and suspected that the messages were a ruse for a surprise attack. [[note]]In hindsight, November 1983 was a particularly poor choice of timing for a nuclear exercise of any kind. Not only was the physical and mental health of Soviet leader Yuri Andropov dangerously precarious (leading to potential miscalculations and paranoia on Andropov's part), but the Soviets were already riled and wary after Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech. And after escalations on both sides (such as Reagan's "playing chicken" with the Soviets in terms of more aggressive drills and reconnaissance flights, which ended badly after [=KAL-007=] was mistaken for an American spy plane and was shot down with the loss of nearly 300 lives over the Sea of Japan), Soviet nerves were raw, and they were ready to believe the worst. Finally, the Soviet "[[=RYaN=]" project, which was collecting data points to fit a pre-conceived notion that the [=US=] was plotting a sneak nuclear attack on the Soviet Union -- spoiler alert: it wasn't -- had just about collected enough evidence to sound the alarm.[[/note]]Fortunately for ''everyone'', the Soviets did come to their senses in the nick of time and realized that the exercise was indeed an exercise.

The [[UsefulNotes/BritsWithBattleships Royal Navy ]] simply add a prefix -- drills are preceded by 'For Exercise' three times. There's also the Safeguard Rule -- when this is in force, no mention is made of drills/exercises, and everything is announced as if it was real. Any genuine incidents are preceded by the word 'Safeguard'. It's a distinctive word, and everyone knows what it means, so there is no need to remind people that 'This is not a drill'. Nothing makes people freeze like hearing 'Safeguard, safeguard, safeguard!' over the main broadcast.

[[folder:Film – Live-Action]]

----

* In the 1957 [=CBS=] civil defense one-shot program, ''A Day Called X'', which depicts the evacuation of Portland, Oregon in advance of a Soviet nuclear attack, the message "AN ATTACK IS NOT TAKING PLACE" appeared on the screen any time anyone on screen was mentioning anything that audiences might misconstrue as an actual, legitimate warning. [[Radio/TheWarOfTheWorlds Looks like CBS had taken the smack on the wrist they got in '38 to heart.]]
* Used in the first episode of ''{{Series/Andromeda}}'', right after the crew went through a battle stations drill.

* In an episode of ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'', the hospital staff stage a fake emergency to demonstrate their preparedness in the event of an emergency, only for 1) one of their patients to turn up murdered and 2) a tunnel collapse resulting in the E/R being flooded with real casualties. For bonus points, several cast members of both the series ''Series/{{MASH}}'' and the movie ''Film/{{MASH}}'' played supporting roles in the episode.

* [=NATO=] tried extremely hard to play this trope as straight as possible in 1983 during the Able Archer exercises, which were meant to test the robustness of communications and command and control systems in the events leading up to and through the initiation of a nuclear war. Realizing that Soviet signal intelligence would be listening in to all messages, they broadcasted the exercise messages in the clear with EXERCISEEXERCISEEXERCISE as a header. Unfortunately, the Soviet leadership was WrongGenreSavvy and suspected that the messages were a ruse for a surprise attack. [[note]]In hindsight, November 1983 was a particularly poor choice of timing for a nuclear exercise of any kind. Not only was the physical and mental health of Soviet leader Yuri Andropov dangerously precarious, but the Soviets were already riled and wary after Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech. And after escalations on both sides (such as Reagan's "playing chicken" with the Soviets in terms of more aggressive drills and reconnaissance flights, which ended badly after [=KAL-007=] was mistaken for an American spy plane and was shot down with the loss of nearly 300 lives over the Sea of Japan), Soviet nerves were raw, and they were ready to believe the worst. [[/note]]Fortunately, the [=USSR=] realized just in time that the exercise was indeed an exercise, and so we Tropers are here to read this site rather than being too busy being free-floating radioactive isotopes.

* [=NATO=] played this trope as straight as possible in 1983 during the Able Archer exercises, which were meant to test the robustness of communications and command and control systems in the events leading up to and through the initiation of a nuclear war. They broadcasted the exercise messages in the clear with EXERCISEEXERCISEEXERCISE as a header on every exercise message. Unfortunately, the Soviet leadership was WrongGenreSavvy and suspected that the messages were a ruse for a surprise attack. [[note]]In hindsight, November 1983 was a particularly poor choice of timing for a nuclear exercise of any kind. Not only was the physical and mental health of Soviet leader Yuri Andropov dangerously precarious, but the Soviets were already riled and wary after Reagan's "Evil Empire" speech. And after escalations on both sides (such as Reagan's "playing chicken" with the Soviets in terms of more aggressive drills and reconnaissance flights, which ended badly after [=KAL-007=] was mistaken for an American spy plane and was shot down with the loss of nearly 300 lives over the Sea of Japan), Soviet nerves were raw, and they were ready to believe the worst. [[/note]]Fortunately, the [=USSR=] realized just in time that the exercise was indeed an exercise, and so we Tropers are here to read this site rather than being too busy being free-floating radioactive isotopes.

* Subverted during the [[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Hawaii_false_missile_alert 2018 Hawaii false missile alert]], when this trope was quoted verbatim despite it actually being an exercise.

** In "The Corbomite Maneuver", Captain Kirk isn't happy with the sluggish response to his orders when they have to fire on a hostile alien spacecraft, and so orders some battle drills before going to his quarters. In a middle of a drill a [[AlwaysABiggerFish much, much larger spacecraft]] turns up, so Sulu orders a RedAlert, giving this trope.

* ''Series/StarTrekTheOriginalSeries''. And announced by Spock in at least one episode, while sirens whoop and the camera rapidly zooms in and pulls back repeatedly on a flashing red light.

* In the ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' episode "Peak Performance", a combat drill and performance review is interrupted by an actual Ferengi attack.
** It was also used repeatedly by Data in "11001001" when issuing an order to abandon ship.
** And announced by Spock in at least one Original Series episode, while sirens whoop and the camera rapidly zooms in and pulls back repeatedly on a flashing red light: "Red alert. Red alert. This is no drill. Repeat. This is no drill."

* The U.S. National Weather Service's enhanced "Tornado Emergency" verbiage is intended to be this for tornado warnings. A tornado emergency means that a powerful tornado is headed for a populated area.

-->-- Announcement made on US nuclear submarine during 1961

** [[Recap/DoctorWhoS21E1WarriorsOfTheDeep "Warriors of the Deep"]] only had the computer of an underwater military base tell the crew whether or not it was a drill after they'd gone through the motions which would have launched the UsefulNotes/WorldWarIII WeaponOfMassDestruction missiles if it was not. Nobody was very surprised that the sync-operator (the guy that did the launching) was under stress.

!!Examples

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

[[folder:Film]]
* ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'': This phrase blares over speakers as the Project P.E.G.A.S.U.S. faculty is being evacuated due to the Tesseract "misbehaving".
* ''Film/PearlHarbor'': When the Japanese planes came in to attack Pearl Harbor, many American military personnel, including one of the main characters, thought the Navy was doing practices or a drill. Eventually people started realizing the situation, especially after the P.A. system started saying it was the real thing.
-->'''''USS West Virginia'' PA system''': [[PrecisionFStrike This is no shit!]] [[OhCrap They just sunk the]] ''Arizona''! General quarters! All hands man your battle stations! ''This is no damn drill!''
* Happens several times in ''Film/ThePresidentsLastBang'', in which agents of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency assassinate President Park Chung-hee. After giving his men shoot-to-kill orders, Chief Agent Ju explains that "This is a real situation."

* Averted in ''Film/{{Wargames}}'': the silo crews in the opening are specifically not told it's a drill to test their reactions in a real WWIII situation.
-->''"Turn your key, sir!"''

* Subverted in ''Film/ResidentEvil'', where a woman tells a panicky coworker "it's a security drill" right before the Halon is fired up and everyone dies.
* ''[[Film/LegallyBlonde Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde]]'' has this phrase shouted out.

* In ''Film/TheDayAfter'', an Air Force officer, notified of an incoming Soviet nuclear strike, asks if it's just a drill. He waits for a reply, then:
-->"Roger, copy. ''This is not an exercise!''"
* Late in ''Film/TrueLies'', when [[spoiler:a nuclear bomb is about to go off in the Florida keys]], Harry is heard barking orders over a radio to get Miami emergency services and so forth into place. "This is not a drill, you understand that?"

* In ''Film/DrStrangelove'', Gen. Ripper tells Captain Mandrake to relay "Wing Attack Plan R" to the squadron airborne over Russia--it calls for the planes to attack Russian targets. Mandrake thinks it's a drill. Ripper says otherwise.

* Paul Carter's second book was named ''This Is Not a Drill'' partly for irony, because he's an oil driller, but mainly because he hears it for real in his first anecdote, where the crew are evacuating an oil rig in imminent danger of capsizing.
* In Creator/DanAbnett's ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' Literature/GauntsGhosts novel ''Blood Pact'', [[spoiler:Daur]] tells the other prisoners that it's a drill; [[spoiler:Rawne]] says, "It's not a drill." Later, when the Ghosts are put on active pending status, Dalin Criid questions whether it's a drill.
* In ''Literature/RedStormRising'', the crew of USS ''Pharris'' are told that as they are now in a shooting war, there will be no more drills.

* Spoofed in a ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' parody:
--> '''The announcer:''' "This is not a drill. I repeat, this is not a drill. Last time was a drill, but now it is not! So what if last time I said it was not a drill? I needed to simulate a combat situation! [[CryingWolf But this time it is '''honestly''' not a drill]]. It's real! Move your asses!!!
* In ''[[Literature/IntoTheLookingGlass Vorpal Blade]]'', there are several "intruder alert" announcements for the Marines aboard the titular spacecraft, but when the Demons attack the trope phrase is added, though for some the "not a drill" announcement doesn't sink in immediately.
* ''Literature/AllHands'' starts with a RedAlert message which includes a 'this is not a drill'. Twice.

[[folder: Live Action TV ]]

--->'''Holly:''' Rude alert! Rude alert! An electrical fire has knocked out my voice-recognition unicycle! Many Wurlitzers are missing from my database! Abandon shop! This is not a daffodil! Repeat: This is not a daffodil!
--->'''Rimmer:''' ''(sarcastically)'' Well, thankfully Holly's unaffected.

--->'''Rimmer:''' (After trying to wake Lister and Cat) Look, Starbug is a blazing inferno, the engine room is waist deep in rocket fuel and we're being attacked off the starboard bow by an unidentified craft!
--->'''Cat:''' Really?
--->'''Rimmer:''' No, of course not really. It's a drill. We're pretending that Starbug is on fire and under attack.
--->'''Lister:''' (Still in bed) And I'm pretending to scramble.
* The ''Series/DoctorWho'' episode ''The Hand of Fear'' used the more Britishly laconic "This is not an exercise!"
** Another story, ''Warriors of the Deep'' only had the computer of an underwater military base tell the crew whether or not it was a drill after they'd gone through the motions which would have launched the UsefulNotes/WorldWarIII WeaponOfMassDestruction missiles if it was not. Nobody was very surprised that the sync-operator (the guy that did the launching) was under stress.

* Lampshaded in (of all things) a ''Series/PowerRangersLightspeedRescue'' episode: When the good guys are celebrating what they believe to be the defeat of the big bad, and the alarm goes off. One of the Rangers says "Tell me that's a drill." The mentor informs the team that they don't ''perform'' drills.
* Shows up in ''Series/PowerRangersSPD'' during Delta Command Megazord's first appearance. Kat warns all personnel to get to designated safety zones, as the ''entire base'' is about to transform into a robot.
* In one episode of ''Series/TheBigBangTheory'', it's revealed that Sheldon forces Leonard to participate in emergency drills so that they will be ready should the apocalypse ever strike Pasadena. [[CrazyPrepared They have personalised hard hats and reflective vests to wear]].
* Used in the first episode of ''{{Series/Andromeda}}'', right after the crew went through a battle stations drill.
-->'''Thompson:''' Please tell me this is another drill!
-->''[the console emits sparks]''
-->'''Alien co-gunner:''' This is no drill!
-->'''Thompson:''' I was afraid of that!

* This warning comes up on ''Series/{{NCIS}}'' when HQ suffers a bio-attack with ''Yersinia pestis'' bacteria--aka pneumonic plague.
* The ''Series/{{MASH}}'' episode "Big Mac" gives us this announcement while the unit is rehearsing for a visit from General [=MacArthur=]:
-->(''with great urgency'') Attention, all personnel! General [=MacArthur=] has just passed checkpoint Able! He'll be here in seconds! This is not--repeat--this is not a drill! This is a real emergency!
* In an episode of ''Series/DiagnosisMurder'', the hospital staff stage a fake emergency to demonstrate their preparedness in the event of an emergency, only for 1) one of their patients to turn up murdered and 2) a tunnel collapse resulting in the E/R being flooded with real casualties. For bonus points, several cast members of both the series ''Series/{{MASH}}'' and the movie ''Film/{{MASH}}'' played supporting roles in the episode.
* Played for laughs in ''Series/MockTheWeek'' in a Scenes We'd Like To See round; "Unlikely things to hear over a Tannoy(public address system in America)":
--> "This is not a drill, repeat, this is not a drill! Would someone go to power tools and get me a drill?"

* Music/FleetwoodMac's "Peacekeeper"
--> This is not a test, it's not a drill
--> Take no prisoners, break their will

-->It's Christmas at ground zero
-->The button has been pressed
-->The radio just let us know
-->That this is not a test
* "Emergency" from the ''Trancemission from Raveland'' compilation: "This is not a test. This is an actual emergency."(CreepyMonotone voice)

[[folder: Theme Parks ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

-->'''Sailor:''' Two-- no, three ships are burning now!\\

* Used in the beginning of the ''VideoGame/{{Sonic Adventure 2}}'' Dark Side Story when Dr. Eggman attacks the military base where Shadow is kept. As Eggman tears his way through the forces of GUN, the announcements become more and more frantic.
* Every space battle fought with the clones or rebels in ''VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefront 2'' has this trope being yelled out by a voice while you are in the hangar.
--> '''Rebel Alliance Commander:''' "The hangar is under fire! This is not a drill!"

* The opening cutscene for ''VideoGame/XComApocalypse'':
--> "Launch all X-Com fighters! Stand by all combat teams! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

--> '''Evacuation Order:''' Attention all hands! We are on a collision course and losing systems fast! Report to the {{escape pod}}s immediately! This is not a drill!

--> '''Thunder:''' "Attention, all personnel! [[MotherNature The President]] is arriving. This is not a drill."
* In ''VideoGame/GuildWars Factions'' the Dragon Festival has a reinactment of the Nightfall invasion during the first ingame Dragon Festival and the reinactment requires actors dressed as Naga to stage a paniced mass exodus of Naga into Kaitan Village like the real Naga did during the Nightfall invasion to escape said invasion. As one of the gaurds in charge of the reinactment reveals when you reach her at Kaitan Village: the ''real'' Naga had decided to raid Kaitan Village presumably killing the actors playing them before attacking everyone else while the actors playing the part of the demons that drove said Naga out during the previous Dragon Festival take their places in the Naga's den unaware of the Naga attack (nor are the Naga aware that actors had moved into their den during said Naga raid either).

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* In ''Webcomic/AmericanBarbarian'', [[http://www.ambarb.com/?p=60 Yoosamon's first reaction is that he didn't schedule a drill, and the king denies it is one.]]
* In ''Webcomic/{{Sinfest}}'', [[http://www.sinfest.net/archive_page.php?comicID=2167 Squidly warns of Monique's mood -- and this is not a drill!]]

--> '''Peace Moon P.A. System:''' Attention all personnel! This is an alarm trigger alert. This is not a drill! Not only is this not a drill, it's not a drill that we're pretending is not a drill!
* In ''Webcomic/CommanderKitty'', [[http://www.commanderkitty.com/2011/05/15/saved-by-the-bell/ such an alert interrupts Nin Wah's fight with the last of the Tagged goons.]]

[[folder: Western Animation ]]

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' parodied it way back when they were a short on ''Series/TheTraceyUllmanShow''. One short has Homer waking the family and herding them into a bomb shelter yelling that "World War Three has begun" and "This is not a drill". When they get to the bomb shelter, he reveals to the viewers that it ''was'' a drill, and chastises his family for taking so long -- but they aren't listening due to being rightfully shivering in terror.
** After this happens a couple more times, the family turns the tables on Homer and lock him in the shelter for the night.
--> Homer: "Run for your lives everybody, this is not a drill!"

* ''WesternAnimation/JusticeLeagueUnlimited'', when firing the [[WaveMotionGun Binary Fusion Generator]].
* An episode of ''WesternAnimation/AmericanDad'' had Stan late to a CIA nuclear war exercise. Director Bullock had told everybody that once the exercise begins, everybody is to act like the crisis is 100% real. Stan rushes in and asks if it's real, and Bullock says, "One Hundred Percent!" Causing Stan to panic and rush his family to the woods.

[[folder: Real Life ]]

* Airforce regulations specifically bar anyone in the Presidential line of succession from participating in practices involving the Looking Glass planes (a special plane that will allow the President to conduct nuclear warfare from anywhere in the world) and will instead have a stand in to play the part of the President for the drill. The reasoning is because they know the plane's movement and use is closely watched as a possible early warning sign that the President is about to begin Nuclear War. The fear is that if the president enters the plane, it will be identified as Not A Drill and spark a Nuclear War by mistake.

* ''In ''Film/DrStrangelove'', Gen. Ripper tells Captain Mandrake to relay "Wing Attack Plan R" to the squadron airborne over Russia--it calls for the planes to attack Russian targets. Mandrake thinks it's a drill. Ripper says otherwise.

-->(''with great urgency'') Attention, all personnel! General [=MacArthur=] has just passed checkpoint Able! He'll be here in seconds! This is now--repeat--this is not a drill! This is a real emergency!

The [[BritswithBattleships Royal Navy ]] simply add a prefix -- drills are preceded by 'For Exercise' three times. There's also the Safeguard Rule -- when this is in force, no mention is made of drills/exercises, and everything is announced as if it was real. Any genuine incidents are preceded by the word 'Safeguard'. It's a distinctive word, and everyone knows what it means, so there is no need to remind people that 'This is not a drill'. Nothing makes people freeze like hearing 'Safeguard, safeguard, safeguard!' over the main broadcast.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' parodied it way back when they were a short on ''The Tracy Ullman Show''. One short has Homer waking the family and herding them into a bomb shelter yelling that "World War Three has begun" and "This is not a drill". When they get to the bomb shelter, he reveals to the viewers that it ''was'' a drill, and chastises his family for taking so long -- but they aren't listening due to being rightfully shivering in terror.

In the [[YanksWithTanks US Air Force]], training messages are preceded by the announcement, spoken or written: EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE. Other announcements are assumed to be real world.

At least in the Submarine force of the [[YanksWithTanks US Navy]], drills are augmented with personnel, usually senior or experienced enlisted, who act as the Drill Team, who wear a distinctive item that signifies them as a member of the Drill Team (such as a red ballcap). The purpose of the Drill Team is to allow participants to take their actions with as much verisimilitude as possible, intervening only to keep the participant from taking an action (such as the above mentioned Halon example) that would cause harm to the ship or crew but otherwise letting them do everything else as if it were real. Reactor SCRAM drills actually involve [[GoingCritical SCRAM]]'ing the reactor for real. It's an interesting synthesis of the trope, because even though there is often no advance warning of a 'casualty,' the obvious presence of the Drill Team makes it clear that a Drill is being conducted for those in the affected space.

** The classic historical example of its use is in the alarm bulletin sent out by telegraph on December 7, 1941: "[[ThisMeansWar AIR RAID]] [[WorldWarII PEARL HARBOR]] [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearl_Harbor_attack#cite_note-96 THIS IS NOT DRILL]]".

** Another story, ''Warriors of the Deep'' only had the computer of an underwater military base tell the crew whether or not it was a drill after they'd gone through the motions which would have launched the WorldWarIII WeaponOfMassDestruction missiles if it was not. Nobody was very surprised that the sync-operator (the guy that did the launching) was under stress.

** In ''Film/CrimsonTide'', a fire breaks out in the kitchen. While the first mate is helping to put the fire out, the Captain orders a launch drill, although the actual wording of the announcement given by both the Captain and the XO is "This is an exercise."