Washington, D.C.

Washington D.C. is the capital of the United States and is seen in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Call of Duty: Black Ops.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
After Russian forces invaded the East Coast of the United States of America in retaliation of the massacre at an airport in Russia, supposedly done by an American but actually committed by Makarov as part of a false-flag operation, the city was turned into a battleground. Russian forces were overwhelming the Americans and a mass evacuation was in effect, with the Washington Monument being used as an evacuation point for troops. The Washington Monument, the White House, the World War II memorial and many other D.C. landmarks were damaged by enemy fire.

Private Ramirez, Corporal Dunn, and Sergeant Foley were tasked to hold back the enemy and prevent the Washington Memorial evacuation zone from being taken by enemy forces. A large number of Russians were attacking the evacuation zone from the World War II Memorial, while numerous anti-aircraft batteries were placed on top of a nearby building. Soon after defending the evacuation point, they were evacuated by helicopter, but were shot down by a rocket battery. They survived the crash and held back enemy forces converging onto the crashed chopper. At that moment, a nuclear ICBM launched by Captain Price exploded right over the East Coast, knocking out every electronic device, vehicle and aircraft.

After escaping falling wreckage of both American and Russian aircraft, the Rangers crept past Russian patrols and were given a message from Col. Marshall to meet at Whiskey Hotel for a counterattack. They fight their way through the Eisenhower building before discovering the wreckage of the Presidential Bunker. As the bunker is badly damaged but no bodies are found, it is assumed that the President and staff were able to escape.

Believing that the Russians have taken over Washington D.C., the military chose the option to flatten the entire capital instead of letting it fall to enemy hands, known in game as the Hammerdown Protocol. The strike will be canceled if troops deploy green flares to show that they're still active. The American troops are called to assemble at Whiskey Hotel, a.k.a. the White House. Being one of the few buildings hardened against EMPs, the Rangers were able to receive the radio message stating the Hammerdown Protocol, giving them barely enough time to respond. After a fight through the damaged building, Ramirez and Foley deployed green flares on the roof of the White House, along with several other troops around the city, averting the strike, saving themselves, and the capital.

Levels of Reference in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

 * Of Their Own Accord
 * Second Sun
 * Whiskey Hotel

Call of Duty: Black Ops
In Call of Duty: Black Ops, Washington D.C. was planned to be invaded by Dragovich's Nova Six sleeper cells but was saved by the S.O.G. team, and also appears in the campaign level "U.S.D.D.". It also appears in the Zombie map, "Five".