The United States Secret Service Counter Assault Team (CAT) is an elite tactical unit formed directly in response to vulnerabilities exposed during the 1981 assassination attempt on President Reagan. Established formally in 1992, CAT's primary and distinct mission is offensive action: to immediately engage and neutralize large-scale, coordinated attacks threatening the President, Vice President, or other designated protectees. While the main protective detail (PPD) focuses on evacuating the prin