Being the actual designated survivor brings extra adrenaline jolts and humbling thoughts about being unwittingly catapulted into the presidency and unthinkable tragedy — though the minute-to-minute details usually don’t feature the high drama of fictional portrayals, those who have filled the role say.

Doug Collins, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, is reportedly serving as the designated survivor during President Donald Trump's joint congressional address on Tuesday night. The designated survivor is a person in the presidential line of succession—often a low-level Cabinet member—chosen to be kept separate from other executive branch officials when the government is all gathered in one place in the event of a catastrophic event.

There is one notable absence in the House chamber on Tuesday night for President Trump’s joint address: Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. Collins, a former congressman from Georgia, is the “designated survivor,