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Pentagon Information Kit - PIK

Welcome to the Pentagon! This Survival Kit hopefully contains all the information you need to plan and perform a successful tour of duty in the Pentagon. You will find the Pentagon is a fascinating place to work, a place where, if you are clever, patient, and a bit lucky, you can make significant and interesting contributions to the management and policies of the United States Army and the Department of Defense. The opinions expressed on these web pages are those of the author and do not represent the official views or policies of the Department of the Army, the Department of Defense, or the United States Government.

The Pentagon Information Kit (PIK) was written by Dr. Tom Moore, a Colonel in the Army Reserve who served in various IMA positions in the Pentagon. Unfortunatley he is no longer working in the Pentagon, but his wisdom and humor are being maintained for future generations. If you find an error or broken link in the Pentagon Information Kit, please contact the webmaster.

NewComers Resource Center

These resources have been compiled from Newcomers like yourselves and are provided to you by Army G-2.

Chapter 1 - Before Leaving Home

Planning Your Project, Action Officer's Guide, Staff Officer Orientation Course, Travel Arrangements, Travel Claims, Emergencies

Chapter 2 - Getting There

By Air, By Rail, By Auto, or even By Bicycle

Chapter 3 - Where to Stay

Army Lodging Success Program, Military Lodging, Non-LSP Lodging, Federal Travel Directory

Chapter 4 - Where to Eat

In the Pentagon, Outside the Pentagon, Washington Area Info

Chapter 5 - Checking In and Out

Check-In Process, During Your Tour, Check-Out Process, Proper Uniform, Travel Changes

Chapter 6 - Building Security

ID Cards and Bldg. Passes, Escorts and Escorting, Weapons and Contraband, Building Pass Display, Classified Material, Photography, Emergencies

Chapter 7 - Getting Acquainted with Your Job

Books about the Pentagon, Care Package, Pentagon Action Officer's Guides, HQDA Staff Officer Orientation Course, Why Are You Here?, Meeting Preparation and Management

Chapter 8 - Getting Around

Navigating the Pentagon, MetroRail, Taxi's, Local Buses, Hotel Shuttles, Official Buses, City Parking, Pentagon Parking

Chapter 9 - Information Technology

Telephone, PC's and Networks, Electronic Mail, Mainframes, Internet and Security, Pentagon Library, Official Publications, Mail, The Early Bird

Chapter 10 - Miscellaneous

Military Courtesy, No Smoking, Bringing Your Computer, Lost and Found, The E-Ring, Personal Security, Local Laws, Historical Exhibits, Reserve Web sites

Chapter 11 - Recreation and Sports

Recreation Services, PAC, Running and Bicycling, Soccer, Movies, Theater & Concerts, Pentagon Events.

Chapter 12 - Health Care Services

Medical, Dental, Pharmacy

Chapter 13 - Where to Shop

In the Pentagon, Check Cashing, Official Supplies, Outside the Pentagon, Commissaries, Military Exchanges

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Chapter 1 - Before You Go to the Pentagon - top

Incoming Reservists and Contractors: Plan Your Project Ahead of Time

The pace of work for the permanent employees in the Pentagon can be hectic and stressful. Don't be surprised if the people you will work for haven't carefully planned your project or duties. If you are a Reservist, they may not even have had time to think about what you will do for them. You should be proactive about telling them about your background and skills.

At least a month ahead of the start of your tour, you should call, write or e-mail your point of contact and ask him or her to describe the project they will ask you to do. Don't be surprised if they cannot immediately do this. At least you will have started them thinking about it. This communication will also be an opportunity for you to help them understand your interests, strengths and weaknesses.

Incoming Active Duty and Civilian Employees: Prepare Yourself for the Pentagon

You will almost always be coming to fill a position that is vacant or will soon be vacant. Your best source of information about the duties of this position is obviously going to be the person who last filled that position. If at all possible, it is important for you to report for duty before this person leaves the organization so that you will have some overlap with them.

All Incoming Personnel: Look for Resources on the Web

You should also spend some time finding out about the roles and responsibilities of the organization in which you will work. Many of the organizations in the Pentagon now have their own web pages or web sites. Simply knowing the names of the people who will be in your chain of command will give you a leg up when you start your tour of duty.

You might also consider reading some of the books and other materials described in the section entitled “How to Do Your Job” before you start work in the Pentagon.

Contractors: Arranging Entry into the Pentagon

Contractors who work in the Pentagon work under contracts that specify the room and facilities available to them. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) will request a Visitor Authorization Request (VAR) from the company's security officer. Specifics concerning clearances should be identified on the VAR. An individual contract employee may have to complete the SF86 (EPSQ) for their company and contract if they have not done so previously. The VAR must be provided to the COR and to the personnel security officer for approval. Each major office in HQDA has a personnel security officer – for example in the Army G-1 organization this is currently SGM Leonard Partaka. Your specific personnel security officer will review and approve the VAR and then pass it on to the Pentagon security office where a local background check is done and the issuance of a Pentagon building pass is approved. Specific information will be provided to the contractor by either the COR or the Project Manager regarding how to pick up the paper work and get to the Pentagon Security Office.

All contractors need to have a Common Access Card (CAC) by 1 October 2003 in order to enter the Pentagon. The CAC may also be needed to use some computer resources. In order to get a CAC, the contractor or employee, must first have an Army Knowledge Online (AKO) account. The COR or other designated individual must sponsor each contract employee for a guest account on AKO.

Travel Arrangements

Once you have your PCS or AT travel orders, you have a right to obtain transportation under the rules of the Joint Travel Regulation (JTR. Typically, this means that you will obtain an airline ticket from a commercial travel office (CTO). The CTO also issues tickets for bus and train travel, and makes rental car reservations for official travel.

CTO services are provided to Army travelers by commercial travel agencies under contract to the Army. In the past the Schedule Airlines Ticket Office (SATO) was the exclusive provider of these services. Now, however, your local CTO may be the Carlson Wagonlit travel agency, LIFCO, Crimson Travel, SATO or some other company.

It may also be possible to make your travel arrangements via the CTO for a Navy or Air Force installation. (Sometimes they call these agencies the Passenger Travel Office. In the Navy, they are normally found associated with the Personnel Support Detachment.) However, if you use the CTO for another military service, be sure to tell them up front that your orders will be coming from the Army - some Navy CTOs now refuse to accept Army accounting data as payment for a ticket. And some Army orders may specify which CTO you must use.

Note: there are limitations on the amount you will be reimbursed if you purchase your airline/train/bus ticket with personal funds or a government travel card. See the first bullet below and the JTR for details.

Here are some key points about travel arrangements:

• When you travel on individual (as opposed to group) travel orders, always talk with the Army's travel agency \ (Commercial Travel Office (CTO)) about reservations and tickets for airlines, railways, buses and rental cars. If you accept the tickets they give you for the trip, then you are good to go. If you want to travel by some other means (for example, driving your POV instead of flying on a CTO provided ticket) then your reimbursement for these travel costs will generally be limited to the cost of the arrangements you turned down. For example, if the travel agency can get you a $200 airline ticket, but you drive instead, then you will be reimbursed based on the actual miles driven, but no more than $200.
• If don't want to use the travel arrangements the CTO makes for you, but you still intend to travel by commercial air, train or bus, you should still make your arrangements through the CTO. Otherwise your claim for reimbursement could be denied.
• Check the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee website for the daily lodging maximum for the place you will perform the TDY duty. Also review the rules that DFAS uses to calculate your per diem payment.
• When planning your trip call Army Lodging Success (800-462-7691) to determine if you will have to stay in government quarters, will have to stay in a government contract lodging facility or will receive a statement of nonavailability number.

Travel Claims

Whenever you are preparing to travel on official orders, it's always a good idea to review the travel regulations - this may save you money by preventing you from incurring an expense that the government will not reimburse. Unfortunately most of us neglect to do this and so only after we have not been reimbursed do we usually consult the travel regulations….

Army Knowledge Online (AKO) has a "community" called "My Travel" and this web page has a link to the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee, which in turn has links to the Joint Travel Regulation and the parts of the United States Code that deal with official military travel. In addition, AKO's "My Finance" page contains a link to a web page called "My Travel Pay." This page contains travel claim forms, instructions for filling out travel claim forms, a useful checklist for travel claims, and information for mobilized Reservists. Finally there is a Travel Manual published electronically by DFAS.

This manual focuses on the nuts and bolts of filing travel claims and the pertinent travel regulations.

Here are some key points about travel and travel claims:

• If you have a reimbursable expense that is $75 or more, be sure to obtain a receipt.
• On your travel claim form, show the room taxes you pay on your lodging as a separate reimbursable expense. These taxes will not be included when determining whether or not you have exceeded the daily maximum on lodging.

Emergencies

The main Pentagon Emergency telephone number is 703-697-5555.

Or for more information go to http://www.dtic.mil/ref/Emergnc/Emergnc.htm

Chapter 2 - Getting There - top

By Air

International Airport Guide: http://www.quickaid.com

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport

• http://www.metwashairports.com/reagan

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is three miles from the Pentagon. Because of its proximity, National Airport has the fastest and least expensive ground transportation to downtown Washington, DC, the Pentagon and Crystal City hotels. Most of the nearby hotels have free shuttle service to National, but not to the other airports. There are a few hotels in the Army Lodging Success Program that are within ten miles of National Airport. Even the Washington Metro stops at National Airport.

National Airport has two disadvantages:

• If you are flying to Washington, DC from an airport more than 1,250 miles from National Airport, you won’t be able to get a non-stop flight. Such non-stop flights arrive instead at Dulles International Airport or Baltimore/Washington International. (By law, direct flights to National are limited to no more than 1,250 miles.)
• Getting in and out of National Airport by automobile has historically been a nightmare. Recent renovations involving more terminal space and a two-tier automobile traffic pattern have alleviated some of this problem. However, you must still be very alert when driving through National Airport.

Washington Dulles International Airport

http://www.metwashairports.com/dulles

This airport is 26 miles west of the Pentagon, in the western suburbs of Washington, DC. In afternoon rush hour traffic, give yourself at least an hour to travel from the Pentagon to Dulles, and hope for no accidents on Interstate 66. (See the note about I-66 below.)

If you are on TDY without a car, there are three ways to get to Dulles by public transportation. The least expensive option is to take Metrorail (the “Metro”) to the West Falls Church station, then take the Washington Flyer bus that runs from there to Dulles every 30 minutes. This will cost you $8.00 one-way ($14 round trip) for the bus plus $2.00 - $3.00 for the Metro portion (depending on whether you make the trip during rush hour or not). For further information about the Washington Flyer call toll-free (888) 927-4359, or check the Washington Flyer schedule. The most expensive option is to take the Washington Flyer Taxi. Be prepared for a cab fare $44 or more one-way. The middle cost option is to use the SuperShuttle. The cost will be about $22 one-way.

One clever tactic that you might use to go from the Pentagon to Dulles on your last duty day would be to find a carpool that operates between the Pentagon and the Reston area. They would love to give you a ride because by doing so they may drive the less crowded toll free airport only lanes of the Dulles access road.

Give yourself extra time checking into or out of Dulles. The gates for most flights are now located in the mid-field terminals. Therefore, you will have to wait for one of the terminal shuttles to take you from the main terminal where you checked your bags to the mid-field terminal. This and the long lines sometimes found at the main terminal can add 15 or 20 minutes to the check-in process. Because of the distance between the baggage claim areas and the mid-field terminals, it also takes a few minutes longer to for your baggage to show up.

Baltimore/Washington International Airport

http://www.bwiairport.com/

This airport is 56 miles from the Pentagon. It is located between Baltimore and Washington, but is actually closer to Baltimore. In recent years, perhaps because of its distance from Washington and the heavy air traffic into Dulles and National, BWI has often had the least expensive airfare to the Washington area from elsewhere in the country. Ground transportation is available from the SuperShuttle ((800)-258-3826) between BWI and downtown Washington, DC (15th and K Streets) for $21 one-way or $31 round trip. Reservations must be made at least four hours in advance. There is also a train service called MARC that runs from BWI to downtown Washington, DC. The fare is $5.00 one-way and $8.75 round trip. See the BWI website for links to the Amtrak and MARC train schedules.

By Rail

http://www.amtrak.com or http://trainweb.com

AMTRAK

Union Station is the main intercity railway station in Washington. It is well served by Amtrak from cities up and down the East coast. A Washington Metrorail station (Red Line) is located there also. The Pentagon is one line change (to the Yellow Line) and five Metro stops away.

MARC

Union Station is also served by weekday Maryland Rail Commuter (MARC) trains from Silver Spring, Kensington, Garrett Park, Rockville, Gaithersburg, Germantown and suburbs further to the northwest. MARC service goes all the way to Martinsburg, West Virginia. MARC also runs two additional lines to the northeast. Their Penn Line goes all the way to Aberdeen, MD, northeast of Baltimore. MARC service is less frequent and more expensive than Metrorail service. Schedule and fare information can be obtained 24 hours a day by telephone from the MARC computer system at (800) 325-7245. MARC system timetables can often also be found near the US Post Office on the south end of the Pentagon Concourse.

Virginia Rail Express

Crystal City and Union Station are both served by Virginia Rail Express. There are two lines, one serving Fredericksburg to the south and the other serving Manassas to the west. Schedule and fare information can be obtained from (703) 658-6200 and also from http://www.vre.org.

By Auto

http://www.aaa.com

To or from the west: there are two main routes: I-66 and Route 50. Route 50 is four lanes (or more in places), but is not limited access and does have traffic lights. I-66 is four lanes from Arlington to the beltway (I-495). Important note: All lanes of I-66 are HOV lanes during rush hours, i.e. a minimum of two people per vehicle. It also becomes bumper to bumper during rush hour.

To or from the south: there is one main route: I-95/395. This is the main north-south interstate route along the East coast of the United States, so it carries a heavy traffic load most of the time. South of the beltway (I-495) this road is called I-95. Between the beltway and downtown Washington, DC, this road is called I-395. When this highway crosses the Anacostia River several miles northeast of the Pentagon, it leads directly onto I-295.

To or from the east: no one comes from the east. But if you did, it means you love fishing on the Chesapeake Bay, and you would probably take the beltway south until you crossed the Potomac River on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge (assuming the drawbridge is down!). Then you would take Highway 1 north or I-395 north until you reached the Pentagon.

To or from the north: good luck. Driving through the District of Columbia during rush hour is asking for trouble. Traffic is very heavy and navigation is difficult. One way to go from the north is to drive the beltway to the west of the city, then take the George Washington Parkway to the Pentagon. The other choice is trickier: you can drive the beltway to the east and then take the Baltimore Washington Parkway southbound to where it simply becomes I-295. Then you have two tricky alternatives.

1. You can get off at the Suitland Parkway westbound, then cross the Anacostia River on the Douglas Bridge, being alert for signs to I-395 south. You will be on city streets for a mile or so. Be very careful at the I-395 on-ramp: there is no merge lane!
2. Or you may take the Suitland Parkway eastbound long enough to drive underneath I-295. Then immediately reenter I-295 northbound and drive a little less than one mile to the Anacostia Bridge exit. This will take you westbound directly onto I-395.

By Bicycle

It is possible to use a bicycle to make the trip from your home of record to the Pentagon even if you live a good distance away. In the early 1980’s I routinely rode the 270 miles from Blacksburg, in southwest Virginia to Washington for AT. This does require a little planning however. You’ll generally have to mail your uniforms ahead of time (Class A’s don’t fare very well spending two days in bicycle panniers, although Class B’s can make it). Obviously, you must plan for some additional travel time (in my case it was a two day trip, which fit nicely into a weekend). Then you will need the appropriate maps. A good place to go for bicycle maps is Adventure Cycling http://www.adv-cycling.org. For information about cycling in the Washington area, try the Washington Area Bicyclist Association at http://www.waba.org.

Next, you will have to plan where to park your bicycle during the day at the Pentagon. There are about 30 bike racks located outside the entrance to Corridor 8, on the bridge between the Pentagon and the POAC. A half dozen racks can be found east of the stairs leading up the the Mall Entrance (located on the E Ring between Corridors 6 and 7). Finally another 30 or so racks are located outside of the Corridor 3 entrance (west end of the South Parking area). All of these bike racks are exposed to the elements. Unfortunately, the Pentagon no longer has any sheltered bicycle parking. (And personally owned bicycles (POBs) aren't allowed in the building.)

Finally, you will have to deal with the issue of travel pay. Since a bicycle is, by definition, a privately owned conveyance, it qualifies for a mileage allowance. The Joint Travel Regulation (JTR) specifies mileage reimbursement rates for privately owned aircraft, vehicles, and motorcycles, but not for bicycles. At $0.25 per mile, the motorcycle reimbursement rate is probably the rate that is the fairest and the closest to the actual expense per mile associated with owning a bicycle. (Don’t laugh - think about what you pay for a good bicycle today, and how few actual road miles would go into a calculation of the cost per mile. In addition, labor for repair and routine maintenance isn’t cheap.) If you need further information on travel reimbursement, read sections U3305 and U3310 of Part I of the JTR. You can find the JTR on the website of the Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee at https://secureapp2.hqda.pentagon.mil/perdiem/

Chapter 3 - Where to Stay - top

Army Lodging Success Program

The Lodging Success Program (LSP) (centralreservations@cfsc.army.mil or toll free at 1-866-363-5771) was originally started to reduce the cost of lodging for Army personnel on TDY in the Washington, DC area. The LSP was so successful that it has been expanded to several other cities. There are seven hotels in the program in the Washington area. Two of these (listed below) are within walking distance of the Pentagon. Originally, Army Reservists were required to make their Washington hotel reservations through the LSP. Now, it is about the only way to stay at a good hotel and not exceed the maximum room rate authorized in the Joint Travel Regulations (JTR) for the Washington area.

The Doubletree Hotel

This is the closest hotel to the Pentagon that is in the LSP. It is located at the very north end of Crystal City, on Army-Navy Drive. It is a nine-minute walk from the Pentagon Concourse. If you've made your reservations through LSP, your room rate is less than the maximum allowed by the JTR. The rate includes free parking, free local phone calls, and free access to the health club and indoor pool. The business center may be used for free. The hotel also runs a shuttle to the Pentagon every half hour in the morning. You must call for a pickup when returning to the hotel. A credit card is required to hold your reservation.

Hotels in the LSP in the National Capital Region

Other Lodging Alternatives

Military Lodging

Fort Myer

Fort Myer is located 1.5 miles northwest of the Pentagon, on the other side of Arlington Cemetary. There are approximately 28 rooms in the Fort Myer BOQ for officers with rank O4 and above. Be sure to make your reservations well in advance. The rooms at Fort Myer are a 20-30 minute walk from the Pentagon. These rooms have telephones, private baths, a microwave, small refrigerator and a full size bed. Reservations can (and should) be made through the LSP unless you are not on orders. The room rate is $30 per day. The Fort Myer Billeting Office can also be reached directly at (703) 696-3576.

Fort McNair

Fort McNair is located 2 miles east of the Pentagon, on the other side of the Potomac River. There are approximately 30 rooms at Fort McNair. They are managed by the Billeting Office at Fort Myer, and are available for both officers and enlisted personnel. The rooms have telephones, shared baths, a microwave, small refrigerator and a single size bed. The room rate is $23 per day. Unfortunately, you must check-in and obtain your room key at the Fort Myer Billeting Office. It takes 40-60 minutes to walk from Fort McNair to the Pentagon. Make your reservations well in advance through the LSP or directly with the Fort Myer Billeting Office at (703) 696-3576. (Yes, the Fort Myer Billeting Office really is the Fort McNair Billeting Office.)

Fort Belvoir

Fort Belvoir is located 10 miles south of the Pentagon. The drive from Fort Belvoir to the Pentagon can take an hour or more in rush hour traffic. There are approximately 530 rooms at Fort Belvoir. These rooms are available to both officers and enlisted. All rooms have a full size bed, microwave, refrigerator, eating utensils, telephone, toaster and coffee maker. Some single rooms have shared baths, while some have private baths. The rate for single rooms is $34 or $38 per day depending on the building. One and two bedroom suites are available for $42 single occupancy. VIP suites with full kitchens may also be available. TDY personnel may make reservations 60 days in advance. Fort Belvoir has an extensive military exchange and commissary shopping center. Reservations can be made through Army Lodging Success or directly with the Fort Belvoir Billeting Office at (703) 805-2333.

Bolling Air Force Base

Bolling Air Force Base is located 4 miles southeast of the Pentagon, on the other side of the Potomac River. There are approximately 51 rooms for enlisted personnel and 51 rooms for officers. The enlisted rooms have shared bath, full size bed, microwave, refrigerator, telephone and desk. The officer rooms have a bedroom and living room, private bath, full size bed, microwave, refrigerator, telephone and desk. The room rate is $16 per day for officers and senior enlisted. The rate for junior enlisted is $10 per day. There is a AAFES exchange, commissary, Burger King, bowling alley, and swimming pool on base. The Bolling Air Force Base Billeting Office can be reached at (202) 767-5316.

Andrews Air Force Base

Andrews Air Force Base is located 8 miles southeast of the Pentagon. It takes 30-40 minutes to drive to the Pentagon during rush hour. There are approximately 100 rooms for enlisted personnel and 100 rooms for officers. All rooms have a private bath, refrigerator, microwave, telephone, TV and VCR. The enlisted rooms have full size beds, while the officer rooms have queen size beds. There are 58 family units available at $24.50 per day. Room rates are $12.50 per day for enlisted personnel and $15.50 per day for officers, single occupancy. VOQ suites are available for $18 per day single occupancy. An AAFES exchange, commissary, gas station, Burger King, bowling alley, fitness center, theater, sports bar, and enlisted and officers clubs are on base. The Andrews Air Force Base Billeting Office can be reached at (301) 981-4614 or 981-4624.

Anacostia Naval Station

Anacostia Naval Station is located immediately adjacent to and north of Bolling Air Force Base. This facility has about 20 rooms for officers and Federal civilian employees (GS-10 and above) on orders. Rooms have private baths and cost $8 per night. Rooms have TV/VCR/cable, a microwave oven, refrigerator, and telephone. There is a full kitchen and laundry room available. The drive to the Pentagon takes about 15 minutes. There is a Metrorail station about a mile away. Surprisingly enough, this Metrorail station is called Anacostia Station. It is five stops and one line transfer away from the Pentagon. Within walking distance there is a AAFES exchange, commissary, Burger King, bowling alley, and swimming pool. You may make reservations by calling (202) 433-2006.

Washington Naval Air Facility

This facility is located on Andrews Air Force Base. It has rooms for about 70 enlisted and 50 officer personnel. Army Reservists may stay on a space available basis. The officer rooms share a bath with one other officer room and cost $8 per day. Enlisted rooms have a shared bath on each floor and cost $4 per day. Officer rooms have telephones, TV/cable, a microwave oven and refrigerator. Enlisted rooms may not have microwave ovens. The drive to the Pentagon takes about 30 minutes depending on traffic. Since this lodging facility is located on Andrews Air Force Base, an AAFES exchange, commissary, gas station, Burger King, bowling alley, fitness center, theater, sports bar, and enlisted and officers clubs are within walking distance. For reservations call (240) 857-2777 or DSN 857-2750.

Non-LSP Lodging

Lenox Club

COL Robert G. Munhall, USAR, writes: "On and off as a Drilling IMA I have stayed at the Lenox Club on 401 12th St. South in Crystal City ($70-$89 per day, depending on the size of the apartment). I first stayed there on a TTAD tour and found they have efficiency, 1 or 2 bedroom furnished apartments available for the short term (2 weeks or longer). A fully equipped kitchen is included along with stereo, VCR, a full athletic facility, concierge services and indoor parking. It is a nine minute walk to the Pentagon and the Crystal City Underground/Metro is available on rainy days. Obviously I have become a fan of their convenience and accommodations. John Clifford is my POC at the Lenox and his phone number is (703) 418-1400. He can provide a brochure, fax information and soon use E-mail to get information to an individual reservist." Note that these apartments stay pretty full, so reserve them months in advance.

If you wish to stay at the Lenox Club, make sure you call the LSP and advise them that you are staying "off base" at less than the LSP contract rates. They may or may not be willing to provide you with a certificate of non-availability of government quarters for the dates of your AT or ADT. Speak very nicely to the LSP reservation clerk, regardless. And note that you will not be reimbursed for your lodging expenses if you fail to get the certificate of non-availability.

Pentagon Row and Parc Vista

Executive style apartments, i.e. furnished apartments, are available in Pentagon Row and Parc Vista. Pentagon Row is a large multiuse development immediately west of the Pentagon City parking garage on Army Navy Drive. The top four floors of the development contain apartments, some of which are owned (or leased) by companies that provide executive accommodations. Pentagon Row is the apartment building that is nearest to the Pentagon. Similar apartments are available in the Parc Vista, which is a tall, multistory luxury apartment building just south of the Pentagon City Mall at the corner of 15th Street South and South Hayes Street. Both Pentagon Row and Parc Vista are within a three-minute walk away from the Pentagon City Mall. There is also a Harris Teeter supermarket in the Pentagon Row complex.

Ted Harvey at Executive Apartments (1-800-525-0155 or 1-703-418-1333) sometimes has furnished apartments for as few as two weeks. Bridge Street Worldwide Corporate Housing at (800) 278-7338 will also sometimes rent furnished apartments to you for just two weeks. Of course, both companies would prefer to have you rent for longer periods. I’ve stayed in one-bedroom apartments furnished by both companies and they are very nice. Both companies also provided profession service. Their apartments are certainly nicer than an ordinary hotel room.

A Word of Caution

Since these executive apartments are not in the LSP, you should only use them if you have a statement of non-availability number from the LSP folks. If you find a furnished apartment that costs less per day than the LSP contract rate (approximately $109 per day) you may ask for an exception to policy from LSP. If they grant the exception, you will be allowed to stay in the furnished apartment rather than being placed in one of the LSP hotels. If they don’t give you a non-availability number or grant you an exception to policy, then you may not be fully reimbursed for your lodging expenses.

Federal Travel Directory

The General Services Administration used to publish the Federal Travel Directory. However, about three years ago GSA stopped writing and printing the Directory. Two for-profit companies have taken over this function and will sell to you, for a price, access to their electronic version of the Federal Travel Directory. The two companies are Patriot Systems, and Official Airline Guide.

Chapter 4 - Where to Eat - top

In the Pentagon

For sit-down lunches there are three places in the winter and four in the summer. Near the Concourse on the 2nd Floor there are two cafeterias (on Corridors 1 and 10). The Corridor 10 cafeteria serves relatively fast food, while the Corridor 1 cafeteria has real plates and silverware available. On the third floor in Corridor 10 between the A ring and B ring, there is the Pentagon Dining Room. (On your right as you walk away from the A Ring, just past Rooms 3B1060 and 3B1052.) Recently renovated, it has very nice decor and seating, and a baby grand player piano playing in the foyer. The bread, dessert and salad bars are very good, and the regular entrees are fair to good. For more detailed information about Pentagon food service see Pentagon Food Service .

Outside the Pentagon

The Crystal City Underground is a series of mostly underground corridors and shops connecting all the major buildings in Crystal City. The Underground contains a series of restaurants, cafes, bakeries, a fast food court and other shops. The Underground parallels Highway 1 (Jefferson Davis Highway) to the east. It is a 15 minute walk southeast from the Pentagon. It is also two stops to the south of the Pentagon Metro station on the Yellow and Blue Metro lines.

There are also a number of restaurants due west of Crystal City on 23rd Street. These start about 150 yards west of Highway 1 and include a fancy Italian restaurant and several with outdoor café style seating.

Pentagon City is a large multistory shopping mall located an eight minute walk due south of the Pentagon. It has a large food court and two or three larger restaurants. Three restaurants and a coffee bar are located in a smaller single story shopping mall directly across Hayes Street from the Pentagon City Mall. The Pentagon City Metro stop is located beneath Hayes Street.

For more information about dining in the Washington area, try http://dc.diningweb.com.

Washington Area Information

The Armed Forces Hostess Association (AFHA) runs a very nice information service for Pentagon employees. Located in Room 1A736 of the Pentagon, they have free, detailed maps of all the military bases in the Washington area. Better yet, they have a 24 page booklet entitled the Washington Area Information Handbook. The Handbook is packed with the kind of information and telephone numbers that new arrivals, both permanent and temporary want to get their hands on. Best of all, the Handbook contains no advertising! The AFHA office is open 0930 to 1430, Monday through Friday, and can be reached at (703) 697-3180 or (703) 697-6857.

Chapter 5 - Checking In and Out - top

Check-In Process

Before you begin your check-in process, be sure to have the following: your Reserve ID card; orders; and address and telephone number of the hotel or other location where you are staying. At various points in the check-in process you will be asked for your name, address, home and work telephone numbers, SSN, rank and possibly the same information for your spouse. Each agency or office may have a somewhat different check-in process. If this is your first Pentagon tour of duty, you should contact your Reporting Point to make sure you bring the documents they will ask you for.

Here is an example of what your check-in process may look like. If your place of duty is in the Pentagon building, this check-in process should ordinarily take about one and a half to two hours.

1. Starting Point: NLT 0800 hours report to your Office’s Personnel Support NCO (PSNCO) and/or Management Support Officer. Note, your Reporting Point may have a different title.
2. See your Office Security Manager. He or she will verify your security clearance and provide you with the form that will be necessary to obtain a building pass. Some Office Security Managers want you to provide a copy of your ORB, your most recent physical exam (Standard Form 88 and Standard Form 93), and DA Form 873 (Security Clearance) or security clearance verification memo. This may especially be true if this is your first tour of duty in the Pentagon. Other Office Security Managers will accept telephone verification from ARPERCEN concerning these items.
3. Proceed to HQDA Security Office, Room 1B912. This office establishes and maintains an additional security file on you, and validates the form you obtained in Step 2.
4. You no longer need to go to the Pentagon Building Pass Office, Room 2E1084 (immediately to the right of the top of the escalators that go from the Pentagon Metro Station to the Concourse entrance) because permanent Pentagon passes are no longer issued to Reservists. Instead you must show your military ID and driver's license every time you enter the Pentagon. You will be given a temporary pass good from 0600 to 2000 hours Monday to Friday.
5. If you have a POV that you will want to park at the Pentagon, proceed to the Parking Management Office, Room 2E165, across from the U. S. Post Office. They will issue you a courtesy 12 day parking pass good for the G parking areas. See the attached Pentagon parking map for the G parking areas.
6. If required, you may have your HIV test done and/or DNA sample taken at the DiLorenzo Army Health Clinic. The clinic is located next to the security turnstyles at the 8th Corridor, 1st Floor (POAC) entrance of the Pentagon. (This is the same entrance that leads to North Parking.) They do HIV testing and take DNA samples from 1300 to 1500 hours Monday through Friday. Normally your orders will indicate whether or not you need an HIV test or DNA sample.
7. If dental x-rays are required, the Dental Clinic is located in the back of the Army Health Clinic. They will often see walk-in patients, although this may change after the location of the clinic is moved sometime in the near future. You may also try calling 695-3420 or 695-1155 for an appointment.
8. Proceed to the Finance Office in Room 2C1052 (located opposite the large cafeteria near the northeastern end of the Concourse). Make sure you have 2 copies of your orders to give them. If you are married, you will need your spouse’s SSN and date of marriage. If you are changing the marital status in your financial records, you will need a copy of your marriage certificate. If you haven’t established electronic funds transfer (EFT) for your pay in the Defense Joint Military Pay System - Reserve Components (DJMS-RC), you must to do so at this time. This will require a deposit slip or check from your checking or savings account, and the exact address of your bank. If your spouse is in the military, you will need his or her SSN and duty station.
9. Proceed to the Military Personnel Support Center Liaison Office in Room 2D156. They will want 6 copies of your orders. Here you will verify that your Emergency Data Form (DD Form 93) and SGLI beneficiary forms are current and correct.
10. You are done! Have a good tour of duty. Hough!!!

During Your Tour

1. Work with your rater to write your OER Support Form (DA Form 67-9-1). Do this as early as possible in your tour.
2. If applicable, sign several copies of your OER (DA Form 67-9).
3. Take your PT test. If your tour occurs during the summer, be prepared for hot, humid weather. If you have a medical profile that prohibits taking the PT test, be sure to have the correct profile documentation with you. If you have taken the PT test elsewhere recently, be sure to bring a copy of the APRT score card with you. If you are over 40, special rules apply. Inquire at your personnel support office.

Checking Out

1. If you are to receive travel reimbursement (typical for Annual Training (AT), but not for Inactive Duty Training (IDT)), i.e. per diem and transportation costs, you must prepare a travel voucher (DD Form 1351-2). Your voucher must be certified by the appropriate official within your Office before you send it to the Finance Office. If your orders indicate that you are traveling on FSN 12102, you will submit your travel voucher to DFAS-Indianapolis. (If your travel is funded by FSN 12102, then the characters "S12102" will appear at the end of the accounting data found at the bottom of your orders.) If your orders do not indicate this, check with the organization that issued your orders to find out where you will send your travel voucher.
2. If you are performing AT, you must take a copy of your Certificate of Performance of Individual Active Duty (ARPC Form 3924) to the Finance Office in Room 2C10520. If you are performing IDT, you must send a completed copy of your Record of Individual Performance of Reserve Duty Training (DA Form 1380) to the ARPERCEN DIMA Section (ARPC-MOI-SD).
3. When you finally depart the Pentagon, leave your Building Pass with the guard as you go out, unless you have somehow obtained a permanent building pass. (It’s very embarrassing to have the Building Pass Office chase you down at your home because you forgot to turn in your pass!) If you have a permanent building pass, then you must determine how your organization's Security Manager wants to handle storage of the pass during the time you are out of the Pentagon.

Proper Uniform

The duty uniform is Class B. However, there are instances when Reservists must wear their Class A uniform. While I’ve been lucky and only needed the Class A uniform once in 12 tours of duty at the Pentagon, you may not be so fortunate. You will definitely need the black windbreaker on every AT tour because of rain and/or cold weather. A few people wear BDUs in the Pentagon. Generally they are enlisted security personnel or maintenance workers, or else visitors from other military bases. Since it's always a good idea to contact your agency supervisor before you leave home, you can ask about uniforms at that time. For information about Army uniform standards, the following websites may be useful:

• Army Regulation 670-1: Wear and Appearance of Army Uniforms and Insignia
• G-1 Uniform Policy
• Army Institute of Heraldry
• Military Awards Branch
• Army Ribbons and Order of Precedence
• Look Sharp Uniform Guide

Travel Changes

If you need to make changes to your official travel arrangements after you have arrived at the Pentagon, see the Carlson Travel Agency, or call them at (703) 684-1558. The Carlson Wagonlit Travel Agency may or may not be able to make actual changes to your tickets, depending on who originally issued them. They will, however, tell you how to solve your problem.

Chapter 6 - Building Security - top

ID Cards and Building Passes

Using only your Reserve ID card, you may enter the Pentagon without an escort on Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 0600 and 2000. You probably won't, but could be asked to go through the metal detector and to have your briefcase x-rayed. To enter or remain inside the Pentagon at other times requires a permanent building pass or that you are escorted by someone with a permanent building pass. If you are coming to the Pentagon for a two week AT tour, you will normally be given a temporary building pass each day. If you have a permanent building pass, you usually won't have to go through security screening under normal conditions. (Anyone can be asked to submit to a search of their briefcase, purse and/or person. The Defense Protective Service guards sometimes do random checks of these items.)

Note that a Pentagon building pass also gives you easy entry into a number of other military facilities in the Washington area.

Escorts and Escorting

Individuals without military ID cards or building passes may enter the Pentagon only if escorted by an individual who possesses a permanent Pentagon building pass. The escorted person must go through security screening, i.e. metal detector and bag x-ray. The escort and escorted person must remain together at all times while in the building.

Weapons and Contraband

Firearms, mace, pepper spray, electric stun devices, and knives with blades longer than 2.5 inches are considered by the Federal Police to be weapons. Weapons are not permitted in the Pentagon building or on Pentagon property, including the parking lots! Leave such weapons in your hotel room or you will run the risk of being arrested and charged with a Federal felony. Pocket knives with blades shorter than 2.5 inches may be carried.

If you bring any kind of drug, into the building other than over-the-counter legal ones, make sure you have a current prescription and that you are currently authorized to use the drug. Use of alcoholic beverages without prior authorization is prohibited on Pentagon property. So is possession of an open container of such beverages.

Displaying Your Pentagon Building Pass

You must visibly display your Pentagon building pass at all times when inside the building. You should take your building pass off and conceal it when you are outside of the building. In reality, you may see individuals violating both of these rules.

Classified Materials and Safes

If you handle classified materials, or there is classified material in your work area, be sure that you obtain and read your organization’s security procedures. Classified safes are available throughout the Pentagon, although their use has significantly decreased with decreases in the creation and use of classified material in recent years.

Decreased creation, use and handling of classified material means you and your co-workers are likely to have less contact with such material. This in turn means that your co-workers will have less recent experience with the proper procedures and less sensitivity to the issue. Thus you may be exposed to an increased risk of being caught in the middle of a security incident. Be sure to learn what the correct storage and handling procedures really are.

Classified materials safes are still found in just about every room in the Pentagon. They must be locked at the end of each workday. Don't be the last person to leave an office at the end of a day when a safe is still open - being caught in such a circumstance can end your career.

Photography

You are prohibited from taking photographs of individual offices or of restricted areas. You may take photographs of the various historical displays in the public corridors of the Pentagon. (Most of these are found on the A Ring or E Ring.)

EMERGENCIES

Main Pentagon Emergency Telephone Number - 697-5555

Fire - If you see flames, pull the nearest fire alarm box.

If you see or smell smoke, call 697-5555.

(This means you must know where the nearest fire alarm box is located.)

Other points of contact concerning safety or facility problems in the Pentagon:

List of organizations their functions and phone numbers

Organization	Function	Telephone Number
Defense Protective Service	(non-emergencies)	697-1001
Defense Protective Service	(crime prevention office)	694-3813
Defense Protective Service	(On-Duty Watch Commander)	697-4151
Pentagon Building Management Office	(M-F, 0700-2000)	697-7351
Occupational Health and Safety Office	(workplace safety & hazardous materials)	693-3683
OSD Physical Security Branch	(for OSD Offices only)	697-7396

Bomb Threats or Other Threats

The first page inside the front cover of the DoD Telephone Directory contains a checklist for these types of threats. If you receive such a threat by telephone, immediately grab a telephone directory and fill out the checklist. The checklist includes questions to ask the caller.

Chapter 7 - Getting Acquainted with Your Job - top

Introduction

OK, so the heading is a bit tongue-in-cheek since we don’t actually know which job you are about to start at the Pentagon. We can, however, point you to some resources that contain the wisdom of some experienced Pentagon hands….

Books About the Pentagon

For example, if you enjoy learning by reading, you can learn a great deal from the following books about the Pentagon and its culture:

Assignment: Pentagon - How to Excel in a Bureaucracy, 3rd Edition, Major General Perry M. Smith, USAF (Ret.), Brassey's, Inc., Washington, DC, 2002. ISBN 1-57488-340-2.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Pentagon, Jeff Cateau and Michael Levin, Alpha Books, 2002. ISBN: 002864414X.

The Pentagon Wars: Reformers Challenge the Old Guard, James G. Burton, United States Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1993. ISBN 1-55750-081-9.

Ask for a Care Package Before You Arrive

If your point of contact in the Pentagon seems particularly willing to help you prepare for your tour of duty there, ask him or her for a “care package.” Here are some of the items you might ask for:

• A surplus copy of the DOD Telephone Directory (old copies are always floating around).
• A copy of their most recent organization chart (or its web address).
• A copy of their office telephone list or social roster.
• A copy of their PowerPoint briefing for newcomers.

The first two items will help you learn about your chain of command and the relation your organization has to adjoining organizations. The third item will help you learn about your co-workers. And the last item, if it exists, will provide you information that the organization thinks is important for newcomers.

Pentagon Action Officer's Guides

Much useful material can be found in the HQDA Action Officer's Online Reference. Some of this information will help you prepare for your tour, and some of it will help you during your tour. In addition, there is a HQDA Staff Officer’s Guidebook. There also exists a The Joint Staff Officer's Guide. (Please note: the link to The Joint Staff Officer's Guide downloads an Adobe Acrobat file that contains 466 pages. You would be wise to use a fast Internet connection to download it). Finally, there exists a Military Assistant and Executive Officer Handbook.

HQDA Staff Officer Orientation Course

This one-day course is offered once each quarter to all personnel newly assigned to the HQDA Staff. It typically consists of a series of briefings, one from each principal Deputy or Assistant Chief of Staff. By the end of the day you will literally have seen stars.... Since you won't always be able to arrange your tour of duty to include an offering of this course, it would be a good idea to at least look over the briefing slides for the most recent offering of the course. These slides and more information about the course may be found on the bottom of the HQDA home page.

Why You Are Here?

The “big picture” answer to this question is that you are here to support the President’s National Security Strategy (NSS) and to help implement the National Military Strategy (NMS) of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It never hurts to read these two documents so that you get a sense of the really, really, really big picture.

However, unless you happen to come to the Pentagon to fill a particularly key position, say for example the Secretary of Defense, you aren’t likely to bump into large parts of the NSS or the NMS. Still you might deal with some smaller part of it, and surely you are also here to support the decision making and work of a specific high-ranking official or officer. This will mean answering questions from, doing analysis for, gathering information for, reporting to and assisting the decision making of that high-ranking official. You may also do internal lobbying, keep track of budgetary expenditures, do cost estimation, answer questions from the press, respond to public inquiries, monitor various parts of the military beyond the Pentagon and attend meetings. And more meetings. And even more meetings….

Meeting Preparation and Management

Perhaps meetings are why you are assigned here. Tens of thousands of meetings occur every day in the Pentagon. On the one hand, these meetings are as small as two people having coffee at one of the many places in the Pentagon that serve coffee. On the other hand, these meetings involve several hundred people at locations around the world, all linked by video teleconferencing facilities, or together at a large conference facility away from the Pentagon.

In the Pentagon, the type of meeting that usually has the most difficulty is the meeting with 5-25 attendees. Unfortunately, there are thousands of meetings of this size each week in the Pentagon. If you wish to improve your preparation for or management of meetings of this size, you might read the following:

• Meeting Management Made Easy by Carolyn Torma and published on the web by the American Planning Association (4 pages).
• Effective Meeting Management by Ruby Lingle and published on the web by the University of Illinois Extension Service.

Typical Meetings and Seating Arrangements: The most typical meeting in the Pentagon involves between half a dozen and two dozen people. Perhaps half of such meetings take place in one of the many conference rooms scattered throughout the building. Such rooms are usually long and somewhat narrow, with a large conference table and chairs in the middle, and more chairs lining the long walls. Typically, the General Officers, Colonels (both kinds) and their equivalent other service and civilian ranks get the seats “at the table,” while lower ranking advisors sit against the walls behind their higher-ranking colleagues. Getting a seat “at the table” is important if you need to participate heavily in or influence the discussion. Only “at the table” can you:

• Hear well what is being said
• Read the body language of the main participants
• Be most easily acknowledged by whoever is running the meeting
• Be most readily heard and understood by the main participants

This seating arrangement doesn’t always make sense. In some meetings whose topic is a particularly complex business process, regulation, policy or law, the true expertise in the details resides not in the high ranking folks at the table, but in one or more of the Majors, Captains or GS-12’s sitting against the wall. This can lead to the unfortunate situation in which one of the principals at the table makes an erroneous assertion that goes unchallenged because the person with the knowledge to challenge it is: a) not sitting at the table (and so has trouble being heard); and b) is lower ranking (and so is hesitant to publicly contradict the person making the assertion).

Thus the seating arrangements do matter, and can, indeed, influence the outcome of a meeting. For particularly formal meetings, the seating arrangements are often carefully thought out – but, unfortunately, by protocol officers whose job is to follow somewhat fixed rules rather than creating the conditions for the most successful meeting outcome.

Pre-Meeting Preparation: Ideally before any meeting of half a dozen to two dozen participants each participant should have answers to the following questions:

1. What is the purpose of this meeting?
2. Who will be attending the meeting and whom do they represent in the Army/DoD?
3. What is the agenda for the meeting?
4. Who is in charge of setting the agenda for the meeting?
5. Who is in charge of the administrative details for setting up the meeting?
6. Who will actually run the meeting?
7. If any decisions are to be made concerning the topic of the meeting, how will they be made?
8. If any decisions are to be made concerning the meeting process, how will they be made? (Decisions about when to meet again, whether to table a specific discussion or whether to cut off an agitated speaker are often made differently than substantive decisions concerning the topic of the meeting.)
9. What background information, data and/or analysis does each participant need to know before the meeting begins?
10. What level, if any, of classified information will be discussed or disseminated at the meeting?
11. How long should the meeting last?

Notes on the Questions Above:

1. Every meeting should have a defined purpose and the participants should know what that purpose is well before the meeting starts. Unfortunately, for many Pentagon meetings the person calling the meeting knows its purpose, but many of the participants are not informed of this purpose ahead of time.
2. Sometimes games are played in this regard by deliberately concealing certain attendees in order to catch others by surprise at the meeting. This is a stupid and counterproductive tactic because it can just as easily be used against those who use it. Collectively, we should all object to this tactic and sanction those who use it.
3. Agendas are present for many but not enough Pentagon meetings. Often they are available only at the start of the meeting. However, agendas are an incredibly important tool for making meetings more effective and consume less time. Agendas should always be distributed to the known participants at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
4. Control of the agenda entails significant power and also significant responsibility. It may reside in one person or in a group of people. It is often wise to have the person responsible for running the meeting the person who is primarily responsible for developing and disseminating the agenda.
5. Where and when is the meeting? What is the dress code for the meeting? What are the seating arrangements? Are drinks allowed? Food? Can classified information be discussed? What display and communication technologies are available in the meeting place?
6. For certain types of meetings, the skill of the person running the meeting means the difference between a highly successful meeting and a disastrous waste of time. This is particularly true for meetings where decisions must be made, policies developed, particularly complex situations understood, or brainstorming done. The person in charge must ensure that speakers stay on topic, tempers don’t flare (much), minority opinions have a chance to be heard, aggressive personalities don’t completely shut out opposing ideas, participants aren’t humiliated (tough to get them to participate in the future if they are…) and time is not wasted.
7. It may surprise some readers, but the highest-ranking participant does not always make the decisions at Pentagon meetings. While this is true for many such meetings, for others we make decisions via a consensus process (i.e. everyone must approve a given decision), while at still other types of meetings, we make decisions by simple majority vote.
8. This question is perhaps the one that is generally the least well answered for too many Pentagon meetings. Something as simple as a single acronym used in the description (and even discussion) of an agenda item can render that agenda item and its discussion unintelligible to a participant who does not know the meaning of that acronym. When this occurs, either that participant is effectively excluded from the discussion (losing their input) or he or she interrupts so that time is taken out of the meeting to educate the participant, wasting everyone’s time. This situation can be avoided if complete and thorough information about the agenda items are provided to the meeting participants at least 24 hours in advance of the meeting.
9. It’s pretty embarrassing for everyone involved when a participant at a meeting stands up and says, “Excuse me Mr. Chairman, no one told me that top secret information would be discussed at this meeting. I have only a secret clearance and so must leave at this point. I will try to find Mr. Smith who is from my office and has a top secret clearance and get him to attend the rest of this meeting.” It also wastes someone’s time if they travel all the way to a meeting room only to be turned away by security because they don’t have the proper level of clearance.
10. This is always a hard call to make, but must be made so that participants can plan their schedules.

Chapter 8 - Getting Around - top

Navigating the Pentagon

Even after 12 tours of duty in the Pentagon, I still have to do mental gymnastics to figure how to go from point A to point B in the Pentagon. The problem, of course, is that most of us have little experience with five sided buildings. Since the Pentagon doesn't have an easily identified front, back or side, many folks will use the Concourse to orient themselves.

Here's a physical description of the Pentagon: it's a five sided, five story (plus two basements... that we know of....) building containing a large central courtyard and five concentric (five sided) rings of offices.

Floors: numbered 1 through 5, except for the basements, which are labeled M (for Mezzanine) and B (for Basement...). Note that most people would think of the second floor of the Pentagon as its "main" floor.

Concentric rings: labeled A through E (except in the basement, where there are also ring segments labeled F and G).

Office numbers: starting with 100 and ending with 1099 as one proceeds in a clockwise direction around one of the concentric rings.

Radial corridors: numbered 1 through 10, starting with the radial corridor off the south end of the concourse.

Thus office number 3E210 is on the third floor, in the E Ring, about two tenths of the way around the E Ring in the clockwise direction, starting from the middle of the concourse. The radial corridors go between the concentric rings (and thus radiate outward from the central courtyard) are found where two adjacent sides of the building come together. Oddly enough, the radial corridor numbering and the room numbering are connected. For instance, if you walk down corridor 7 to its intersection with the D Ring, you will find that offices on the D Ring to your left are numbered in the seven hundreds and that offices on the D Ring to your right are numbered in the seven hundreds. Here is your first quiz: find Room BG634A in the Pentagon and report back here. You have ten minutes. (Hint: to make sure you can find your way back to turn in your paper, use a ball of string.)

The Concourse: The Concourse is on the second floor of the Pentagon. It sits where the E Ring would be on the southeast side of the building. There is a large Metrobus station about 200 yards outside the building next to the Concourse. The top of the escalators to the Pentagon Metrorail station is about 100 yards from the Concourse building entrance. This entrance is now the main entrance for visitors to the Pentagon. The Concourse itself is a mini-shopping mall located inside the Pentagon. Obviously the shopping there is only available those who can get into the Pentagon.

For more information on navigating the Pentagon and other statistics and history of the building, check out the Pentagon website or Welcome to the Pentagon

The Pentagon Renovation Project: The Pentagon is in the midst of a multi-million dollar renovation project scheduled to last 10-12 years. Every two years or so, 20% of the people working in the Pentagon will have to move into temporary offices in the DC area while their old offices are renovated. Given that the Pentagon was built in the early 1940's it's no surprise that telephone, air conditioning, plumbing and electrical systems are in serious need of renovation. Expect to encounter some type of construction related disruption during your tour. In particular, note that the locations of particular offices in the Pentagon given in the Survival Kit may sometimes be out-of-date. For specific, up-to-date information see the Pentagon Renovation Program and related links.

One of the unexpected benefits of the Pentagon Renovation Program has been that it actually enabled the Pentagon to recover much more rapidly from the 9/11 attack than would have otherwise been possible because the architectural drawings were already done and much of the building material was already on site or on order. Indeed, it appears that the entire Pentagon Renovation Program will be completed faster than originally anticipated, since the attack caused the accelerated renovation of portions of the building.

Metrorail

Washington, DC has one of the nicest subway systems in the United States. It serves the entire District of Columbia plus the most populous Maryland and Virginia suburbs. The Metrorail runs from 0530 to approximately midnight on weekdays and 0800 to approximately midnight on weekends. (Check specific schedules if you are traveling close to midnight - the whole system is shut down by midnight.) The time between trains varies from three to 20 minutes depending on the time of day and the rail line involved. About the only important part of the District not served by Metrorail is Georgetown. A practical source of on-line information for navigating the Metro and finding out where the stations are located is: StationMasters On-line.

The fare for a trip is based on time of day (rush hour vs. non-rush hour) and the departure and destination station combination. Each station has a lighted sign near the Fare Card vending machines that displays the Metro system map and the one-way fare to every other station in the system. You must purchase a magnetic strip Fare Card from one of the vending machines before you may enter the station. To get into or out of a station requires you to feed the Fare Card into the turnstile. Assuming your Fare Card passes muster, the turnstile will return your Fare Card and then open to let you through. (Note: when your Fare Card has the exact amount needed remaining on it, the exit turnstile will not return it.) When you purchase a Fare Card worth $20 or more, you will automatically be given an additional 10% on the card. (Note: I learned the hard way that the value remaining on an old card will NOT count toward the $20 needed for the discount.) A variety of Metrorail and Metrorail/Metrobus passes are available also. Purchase these at the Pentagon Concourse Metro office (located just a few yards from where the tourists wait for the Pentagon tour). For further information about the Metro, check the Metrorail/Metrobus website.

Transfers

Metrorail to Metrobus transfers are available for Metrobus routes serving Virginia and the District of Columbia. The tricky part is that you must get your transfer from a transfer dispensing machine located at the Metrorail station where you started your trip. Having the transfer will lower, but not eliminate your bus fare. Metrobus to Metrobus transfers can be purchased from the driver of the first bus you take for $0.10. Metrobus to Metrorail transfers do not exist.

Taxis

Most of the hotels near the Pentagon have nearby taxi stands. In addition, there is a taxi stand just south of the Pentagon, off of North Rotary Road, near the southwest end of the Pentagon Metrobus terminal and across the street from the South Parking Area.

Metrobus

The Metrobus system is operated by the same folks who operate Metrorail. Metrobus provides limited coverage of the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs and good coverage of the District of Columbia. There is a Metro information window on the concourse, 50 yards southwest of the top of the Pentagon Metro Station escalator. There is also a rack of bus schedules nearby. Metrobus schedules are also now available on the internet. The information number for the Metro is (202) 637-7000. Be prepared for a medium length wait if you call them.

Ride On

Montgomery County, Maryland (the northern suburbs of Washington) is served by both Metrobus and the county bus system, called Ride On. Bus schedules for Ride On routes can be obtained either by calling (800) 732-3327 or (301) 217-7433 or examining their website. Parts of this site seem a little disorganized, but it does have on-line route maps for the entire Ride On system. You may also be able to find a printed copy of the Ride On bus system map in a wall rack located on the Concourse between the U.S. Post Office and the Army Health Clinic.

Dash Transit

This bus system serves Alexandria and parts of Arlington. Schedule and fare information can be obtained on weekdays by calling (703) 370-3274. You can also find a route map on the wall near the US Post Office at the south end of the Pentagon Concourse.

Fairfax Connector

This bus system serves various parts of Fairfax County, Virginia, south and west of the Pentagon. It gets to residential areas not generally covered by Metrobus. Fares are relatively inexpensive (in 1999 they were in the $0.25 to $0.50 range). Schedule and specific fare information can be obtained on weekdays by calling (703) 339-7200. The Reston LINKS website also carries information about Fairfax Connector routes that serve the Reston area.

Commuter Buses

Various private bus companies run weekday commuter buses from outlying areas to the Pentagon. For example, there are companies that provide service from Annapolis, Frederick, and Hagerstown, MD and from Loudoun County, Stafford and Fredericksburg, VA. There is a rack of one-page schedule sheets on the wall near the US Post Office at the south end of the Pentagon Concourse.

Hotel Shuttles

Most of the hotels near the Pentagon offer shuttle service between the hotel and the Pentagon. Often they will also take you to other nearby locations such as the Crystal City Underground and Pentagon City Mall. They typically offer an easy way to get to the Pentagon in the morning. The return to the hotel is a different matter - you usually have to call the hotel, then get to and wait at the appropriate bus stop adjacent to the Pentagon South Parking area. Except for the uncertain length of the wait, this can work well in good weather. But what about when it's pouring rain and 50 people are crammed into a bus shelter built for 15?

Official Buses

The official DoD bus system serves many of the military bases and locations in the Washington area. For information about bus routes and schedules, look in the back of the yellow pages of the current DoD Telephone Directory.

Slug-lines

Since several of the major roadways between the suburbs and the Pentagon have one or more high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV), many Pentagon drivers want to give rides to people without cars so they can legally use the HOV lanes. In the morning, potential riders line up at various suburban locations around Washington and wait for a driver to stop by and take them. In the late afternoon, riders line up at various points in the Pentagon Bus Bay (directly above the Pentagon Metro station). For information about pick-up and drop-off locations, and, more importantly, about the rules for slugging, see the Slug-lines website.

City Parking

Parking in the Washington area, especially around the Pentagon, is generally difficult to find and expensive. Before you bring your vehicle with you, make sure you know where you will be parking and what it's going to cost you.

Pentagon Parking

Parking at the Pentagon is managed by a combination of the Federal Protective Service (FPS) and the Pentagon Parking Management Office (PMO). The PMO issues the parking permits and the FPS issues the parking tickets (and manages the towing of illegally parked vehicles) for the parking lots around the Pentagon).

According to Building Circular PBM 03-08 from Washington Headquarters Services, all parking lots operated by the Pentagon now require your parked vehicle to display a permit 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are called in to work after normal duty hours (1700-0800) or on weekends, you may park in the Hayes Street Parking Lot (adjacent to Macy's over by Pentagon City Mall) without a parking permit during that time period. If you must work over to the next business day (i.e. after 0700), you must obtain a permit from your agency parking office. If you do not obtain a permit by 0800 then you will be subject to towing. The Building Circular also describes the various categories of parking available in Pentagon parking lots.

If you aware of a prior work assignment requiring the use of your privately owned vehicle, you may obtain a temporary parking permit (for a maximum of two weeks) from the PMO in Room 2E165A (located on the concourse adjacent to the U.S. Post Office). If your assignment exceeds two weeks, you must contact you agency’s parking representative and have them send a letter to the PMO requesting a parking permit and giving the justification for the request.

You may not park a vehicle for more than 18 consecutive hours in one location without securing prior permission from the PMO. Most of the parking in the north and south Pentagon parking areas falls in the following categories:

• Executive (flag officer and SES civilian) and press parking areas;
• Various size carpool and vanpool parking areas;
• Handicapped parking areas;
• Temporary (less than two weeks) permit parking areas;
• Official vehicle parking areas;
• SECDEF and Service Secretary visitor parking area;
• Unusual worker hours parking areas; and
• Special situations parking areas.

You will notice that this doesn’t include an “I just want to drive myself to work by myself and park my car close to the building” parking area. In fact, if you want to do this without a work related justification, you’ll have to park on the other side of Interstate 395, at the Pentagon City Mall or at a parking meter on the local streets in that area.

Price is subject to be changed without notice.

As of May 8, 2007, the Pentagon City Mall
parking fees were as follows:

Day of the Week	Number of Hours Parked	Pay Rate
Monday - Friday	0-2 hrs	$1.50
	2-3 hrs	$2.00
	3-4 hrs	$3.00
	4-5 hrs	$4.00
	5-6 hrs	$6.00
	6-8 hrs	$10.00
	8-10 hrs	$14.00
	10-24 hrs	$16.00
Monday - Friday after 6:00 pm	0-2 hrs	$1.50
	2-10 hrs	$2.00
	10-24 hrs	$16.00
Saturday and Sunday	0-2 hrs	$1.50
	2-10 hrs	$2.00
	10-24 hrs	$16.00

If you have any questions concerning Pentagon parking policy please call 697-6252 (the PMO) for any clarification or questions. In addition, the DOD Parking Policy, the Army G-1 Parking Policy and the Parking Map may be useful links for you. Finally, here is the form the PMO will ask you to fill out and turn in to them when requesting a Temporary Parking Permit.

Commuter Choice (Federal Transportation Incentive Program)

Federal employees, including military members may be entitled to $100 per month tax free if they use some form of mass transit to commute to work. This is actually a very smart idea that was instituted in the spring of 2000. It has substantially reduced the parking and traffic pressures around the Pentagon, although it has not eliminated heavy rush hour traffic. The Federal Transit Administration calls this program “Commuter Choice.” Much more information about Commuter Choice can be found at the Commuter Choice website.

Chapter 9 - Information Technology - top

Telephone

Internal calls - On Pentagon telephones, internal telephone numbers may be dialed directly. For example, numbers starting with 695- or 697- may be dialed as written. This includes most, but not all numbers listed in the DoD Telephone Directory. (On or about page 15 is a list of commercial phone numbers and their DSN equivalents. All of these commercial exchanges can be dialed with just seven digits except for 231-, 279-, 669-, 704-, 706-, 767- (the area code 703 version!), 805-, 806-, 810-, and 907-. Internal telephone calls are the only calls you can make on Pentagon phones that will not incur per minute charges.

External calls - For other numbers in the metropolitan DC area, dial 99 to get an outside line, then dial the number. Since the Pentagon is located in area code 703, local numbers in this area code don’t have to be preceded by 703. For local numbers in DC or Maryland, you must dial 202 or 301, respectively, before the seven digit phone number.

DSN calls - For DSN access, dial 94 and wait for the dial tone. At the present time, the long distance charges associated with DSN are slightly lower than the charges associated with commercial long distance from the Pentagon. In both cases, your Pentagon agency is charged by the minute for phone calls. Indeed, even local telephone calls incur a per minute charge.

DoD Telephone Directory - A current copy of this directory is an essential item for operating in the Pentagon. It has a by name white pages containing most of the DoD employees in the Washington area, and a yellow pages section which parallels the organization charts for most of the DoD organizations in the Washington area. It also contains a DSN directory for most of the U.S. military bases in the United States.

Personal Computers

All computers in HQDA are Pentiums and most are using Microsoft Windows 2000 operating systems. All should be up to MS Office 2000 although there may be a few stragglers out there. Most systems have CD-R and many now have CD-R/W.

The Information Management Support Center (IMCEN) is the DOIM for the HQDA and is in the process or managing the migration of all staff agencies to a central help desk for desktop and network services. New users - permanent and temporary - are issued a user account following in-processing with each agency. The central help desk number is 693-4337 (DSN 223-4337).

Electronic Mail

E-mail has largely replaced the writing of memoranda and notes that used to literally flood Pentagon offices with paper. On your first day make sure you get your e-mail account established. The standard for email addresses is firstname.lastname@hqda.army.mil, e.g., Thomas.moore@hqda.army.mil. The alias may be lastnamefimi@hqda.army.mil, e.g.,mooretp@hqda.army.mil.

Each user is expected to apply for an AKO account. The email address will be first.lastname@us.army.mil. You can set your AKO mailbox to forward to any other account so that you don't have to check it frequently along with your regular working account. An AKO account is needed to apply for a Common Access Card (CAC).

Internet and Security

You should be able to find access to the World Wide Web in your office. If it is not already immediately available, you should be able to request that access be established. If you have used the Internet before, you probably know how quickly it can be used to find information. If you have not used it before, this might be a good time to learn. However, be careful where you go on the Internet! The Army frowns on frivolous or personal use, and strongly punishes use of the Internet for such activities as looking at, printing or downloading materials or information of a pornographic, obscene or explicitly sexual nature. Since Internet use is monitored, just don’t do it. If you inadvertently link to a website or chat room containing such material, immediately exit the site and report the incident to your rater or supervisor. If you want to find the home page of a particular Office in HQDA, a good place to start is http://www.hqda.army.mil.

Pentagon Library

The Pentagon has a rather good technical library whose entrance is at 1A518 in the middle of the A ring. You may reach the Pentagon library at 695-5413. The homepage for the Pentagon Library is located at http://www.hqda.army.mil/library/.

Official Publications

For Army publications and DoD Instructions, visit Room 1B928, M-F 0800-1200 and 1300-1500, or call them at (703) 695-4739. You may also obtain information about Army publications from the US Army Publishing Agency.

For DoD Directives, Instructions, Regulations, Manuals, and Telephone Directories, visit Room 3B960, M-F 0800-1200 and 1300-1520 (Tuesday afternoons closed), or call them at (703) 695-2167.

Navy publications may be obtained at the Washington Navy Yard, (202) 433-4935.

Air Force publications can be obtained in Room 4A1088C, (703) 697-4835. The appropriate publications indices can also be obtained at these locations.

Mail

Official - Each Office, i.e., ODCSPER, ODCSLOG, ODCSOPS, etc. has a mailroom. These mailrooms handle distribution of incoming official mail, and mailing of all types of outgoing mail, including overnight package services. They also are often the source for organization charts and commercial and DoD telephone directories.

Personal - Unfortunately, the Army makes no provisions for you to receive your personal mail while on AT. You can have personal mail sent to your organization’s official address. However, since your name will be unfamiliar to mailroom personnel and perhaps even to personnel in your immediate vicinity, there is no guarantee that such mail will find its way to you unopened and in a timely manner. You can, of course, have mail sent to your hotel. Some folks have good luck with this method, some folks do not. The U.S. Postal Service’s Pentagon Substation unfortunately does not accept general delivery mail. They do have Post Office Boxes, but there is often a waiting line for the least expensive boxes. Also, they must be rented for a minimum of 6 months at a cost of $22. (You can get up to three months box rental back if you turn the box back to the Post Office before three months have passed. Of course you have to go there personally to do this.)

The Early Bird

The Early Bird is a document published five days a week by the Pentagon's Current News Service (CNS). It consists of a collection of articles related to the military that were published in newspapers and magazines around the world that day or the day before. It is read heavily by Pentagon leaders who keep up with current events and their impact on the military. If you ask around your assigned organization, they will tell you where copies of the Early Bird may be distributed in your area. Note, however, that CNS is trying to substantially reduce the number of paper copies of the early bird that it distributes each day, by encouraging readers to use the Early Bird website that is maintained by the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC).

If you have access to a military Internet site (URL ending in ".mil"), you can even get the Early Bird when not on Reserve duty.

Chapter 10 - Miscellaneous - top

Washington Area Information – Armed Forces Hostess Association

The Armed Forces Hostess Association (AFHA) runs a very nice information service for Pentagon employees. Located in Room 1A736 of the Pentagon, they have free, detailed maps of all the military bases in the Washington area. Better yet, they have a 24-page booklet entitled the Washington Area Information Handbook. The Handbook is packed with the kind of information and telephone numbers that new arrivals, both permanent and temporary want to get their hands on. Best of all, the Handbook contains no advertising! The AFHA office is open 0930 to 1430, Monday through Friday, and can be reached at (703) 697-3180 or (703) 697-6857.

Military Courtesy

The military courtesy customs at the Pentagon have changed back and forth over the years. During the 1980’s the custom was not to salute in the Pentagon parking lots (unless you were confronted with a few stars, in which case you took no chances.).

Now the custom is to salute in the parking areas and the exterior approaches to the building. This means you must learn to recognize Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard rank insignia! There are two exceptions to this rule. The courtyard of the Pentagon, while open to the sky, is considered an interior space; therefore no headgear or saluting is required. You will find also that some military personnel salute while under the awnings next to the Metro bus stops, even though this is a covered area – however, this is a practice that should be discouraged both because it is a covered area and because saluting while standing in bus lines or walking in such a crowded area could lead to unfortunate accidents involving elbows…. Similarly, saluting is hit or miss in the pedestrian tunnel that goes underneath I-395 between South Parking and Pentagon City. Finally, please note that the soldiers who are performing Pentagon guard duty don’t salute, as it would interfere with their duties.

No Smoking

Smoking is not allowed inside the Pentagon building. Smoking is allowed only in designated areas outdoors in the center courtyard and a few other outdoor locations. Most of the local hotels have a few smoking rooms available upon request. For more information refer to Washington Headquarters Services Building Circular WHS-97-05 or DOD Instruction 1010.15.

Bringing Your Own Computer

If you bring your own computer or other expensive electronic equipment into the Pentagon, you would be wise to immediately obtain a Property Pass (GSA Optional Form 7) for the equipment so that you can safely remove it later from the building. The Supply Sergeant or Property Book Officer for your Office can issue a Property Pass to you. Unless you have a Pentagon Building Pass, laptops, palm computers and cell phones are subject to screening before you enter the building.

Lost and Found

The Pentagon lost and found operation may be contacted at (703) 697-4151. They are located in Room 2E165.

The E-Ring

Since a small fraction of Pentagon offices have windows, and since most of these windowed offices face other windowed offices or blank concrete walls, the offices that have windows facing away from the building are among the most highly prized offices. All such offices are on the exterior side of the E-Ring. Thus the term "E-Ring" has come to refer to the place where the most highly ranked military and civilian personnel are located. Walk the proper floor on the E-Ring and you may encounter the Secretary of the Army, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or the Secretary of Defense himself or herself.

Personal Security and Personal Firearms

The areas around the Pentagon, Pentagon City, and Crystal City are generally safe. They are well lighted and frequently patrolled by Defense Protective Services or Arlington police. During the business day there are lots of people around. Similarly, the Metro system is well patrolled and generally safe. There are, however, neighborhoods in the District of Columbia, Northern Virginia and Maryland that are not as safe. If you have any doubts about an area you are planning to visit, check with your hotel concierge, your supervisor at the Pentagon, or the local police department.

In Virginia, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is a first offense misdemeanor. You may carry a concealed firearm in your vehicle as long as it is not easily accessible to you, i.e. locked in the trunk or in your suitcase. It would be best to leave such a firearm unloaded and locked away. If stopped by the police in Virginia, it would also be best for you to immediately declare that there is a firearm in the vehicle. In Virginia you may carry mace, pepper spray, or an electric stun device, as long as you do not enter school property or a courtroom with these items. You may only use these devices to defend yourself if attacked. An ordinary pocketknife like a Swiss Army knife is also legal. For further information on Virginia law in this regard, see the Code of Virginia.

In Maryland, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit is illegal. You may only transport a firearm in your car from the place you purchased it to your home, or back and forth to a firing range. When you transport a firearm, it must not be accessible to the driver or passengers, and must be unloaded. Non-projectile electric stun devices, mace, and pepper spray are legal to possess. You may only legally use these devices to defend yourself.

In the District of Columbia, mace and pepper spray are legal except on Federal or school property. Electric stun devices may be owned but may not be used. Firearms may be owned, but may only be transported to or from a firing range. When such transport is taking place, the weapon must be unloaded, inaccessible to the driver and passengers and must take three separate steps to be ready to fire (for instance: unlock trunk; load weapon; and unlock trigger lock). If you are flying to Washington and plan to bring a firearm in your checked baggage, do not stay in a hotel in the District of Columbia and do not fly into Baltimore-Washington International since the ground transportation to the Pentagon will pass through the District of Columbia. The Pentagon itself and the other two Washington airports are located in Virginia where the firearm possession laws are more liberal.

Certain parts of the District of Columbia are high crime areas, especially the southeast (east of the Anacostia River). The criminals especially like to prey on tourists and love to break into and steal cars. Don’t read your maps on the street, keep your camera concealed except when you are using it, lock your car, keep valuables out of sight, and ALWAYS be aware of the people around you.

Local Traffic and Other Laws

(For information about laws enforced on Pentagon property, see Building Security.)

Virginia - Radar detectors are illegal ($50 fine for the first offense). Many of the interstate highways in northern Virginia have high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes. For instance HOV-2 means that each vehicle must have a minimum of two passengers when driving in that lane during the specified rush hours. The first offense fine for violating an HOV restriction is $80. The Virginia State Police regularly use Vascar, radar, and laser detection devices to catch speeders. They drive both marked and unmarked vehicles. Drinking in public is illegal (restaurants with outdoor seating normally have permits for serving alcohol "in public"). In Virginia, there is no limit on the amount of legally purchased beer and wine that may be transported. However, no more than three gallons of other alcoholic beverages may be transported without a permit. For more information, contact the Virginia State Police at (703) 323-4500.

Maryland - Radar detectors are legal. Laser, radar, and Vascar are used by the Maryland State Police. The speed limits are rather strictly enforced on the Interstates and other highways. The State Police has both marked and unmarked cars. Some Maryland counties have open container laws pertaining to alcoholic beverages in motor vehicles. The police can stop you if the driver, front passenger or children are not wearing seat belts ($25 fine for the first offense). Child safety seat violations are punished with a $48 fine. Tinted windows are generally illegal on vehicles in Maryland. A small amount of tinting is allowed on the front windshield. For more information, contact the Maryland State Police at (301) 424-2101.

District of Columbia - Turns are permitted on red lights except as marked. Drinking in public is illegal (restaurants with outdoor seating normally have permits for serving alcohol "in public"). Radar detectors are illegal to use and will be confiscated if found in use. If the radar detector is accessible to the driver or passengers, it’s presumed to be in use. Lock it in the trunk. The DC Police use radar to catch speeders.

Pentagon Historical Exhibits

The Pentagon contains a large number of permanent and some temporary historical exhibits. Take some time during your tour of duty to view these exhibits. For instance, there are two corridors that contain complete exhibits dedicated to the lives and accomplishments of General Marshall (as in the Marshall Plan) and General MacArthur. In the MacArthur Corridor you will see one of the two original WWII Japanese surrender documents. The Pentagon historians also can do a formidable job with the temporary exhibits they create. For example, around the time of the opening of the Holocaust Museum in downtown Washington, Pentagon historians created a temporary exhibit of Army photographs from the Holocaust that was more dramatic and horrific than the Holocaust Museum’s exhibits! For a list of current exhibits in the Pentagon consult the Major Points of Interest List.

Reserve Websites

Here are hyperlinks for the:

• United States Army
• Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1
• United States Army Reserve Homepage
• Army Human Resources Command (HRC)
• Reserve Officers Association (ROA)
• Association of the United States Army
• Army Knowledge Online
• United States Army National Guard
• Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Reserve Affairs)
• Department of Defense Homepage

Chapter 11 - Recreation and Sports - top

Recreational Services Offices

A variety of recreational services are available to Pentagon personnel through organized non -appropriated fund programs sponsored by several DoD agencies. Employees may obtain more specific information by contacting the following offices:

Recreational Services Offices Information

Day of Week	Activity	Room	Extension	Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday	Headquarters Army Recreation	3A146	697-3816	9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
	Headquarters USAF Recreation	5E917	697-9866	8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
	OSD/Joint Staff Welfare and Recreation	3C1055	695-5338 695-5339	10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

PAC

Physical fitness is very important to the Army. Its emphasis carries into the Pentagon in the form of the Pentagon Athletic Center and the encouragement to use it. I suspect that the PAC may be the single most heavily used athletic club in the nation.

It is open from Mon-Fri 0530-2130 hrs.

Sat & Sun 0800-1730 hrs. Holidays 0800-1730 hrs. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, & New Years. http://www.hqda.army.mil/OAASupportServices/pac/pacindex.asp.

As a Reservist you may purchase a monthly membership for $20, or may pay $3 per day to use it. For more information visit their website at http://www.hqda.army.mil/OAASupportServices/pac/JoinUs.asp

The Pentagon Athletic Center (PAC) is located on the basement floor between stairwell 64 (corridor 6) and 74 (corridor 7). There is also an exterior entrance from the north parking lot. Click here to view maps.

Running and Bicycling

Running and bicycling are very popular, sanctioned activities in the Pentagon, particularly for the military. Literally hundreds of people go running at lunchtime, from secretaries and janitors to Generals and civilian leaders. Most runners depart from the POAC or the free locker/shower rooms located on the first floor of Corridor 8 about 50 yards from the guard point.

Washington has a very good network of paved recreational trails for running, walking and bicycling. (If you walk on this network, especially during commute hours, watch carefully for fast moving bicyclists!) One of these trails parallels the east side of the George Washington Parkway from the Pentagon to Fort Belvoir. Another follows Rock Creek all the way from downtown Washington to the Maryland suburbs. For more information about bicycling in the Washington, DC area, try the Washington Area Bicyclist Association at http://www.waba.org.

Soccer

For about 14 years a diverse group of Pentagon employees have played soccer from Noon to 1300 hours, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, weather permitting. Of necessity, they usually do not play from November through March. They currently use the parade and ceremony field located on the northeast side of the building, just beyond the POAC. Please note that the use of this field is limited to these times and days, and when it is dry. There are other rules that the players themselves have adopted to ensure that these scrimmages go smoothly, so you should ask the veterans when you first show up. Mr. David Nanney is in charge of this activity. He can be found via the Pentagon global address book. On Tuesdays through Fridays in good weather, you can find one or more pick-up soccer games in the Park located on the west side of Hayes Street one block south of Pentagon City Mall. There are two fields and the adults generally use the lower field next to the tennis courts. Players are typically there from 1800 hours until dark. They tend to spend a long time warming up and are generally very informal. The group changes frequently, so strangers are welcome. The Recreational Services Offices also carry discount tickets for DC United games in the MSL at JFK Stadium. For game schedules contact DC United. For more information about soccer at the pentagon, try http://www.pentagonsoccer.org.

Movies, Theater and Concerts

The three recreation offices mentioned above sell discounted movie tickets to local theater chains, various local theatrical productions and concerts. They even have discount movie tickets good for the theater in the Pentagon City Mall. If you know the zipcode of the hotel you are staying in, you can obtain current local movie schedules from Movielink.

For information about performances at Wolf Trap, one of the premiere outdoor performance arts venues in the United States, try http://www.wolf-trap.org. Note that Wolf Trap is open to the summer air. While the seating areas are protected from the rain, the area called "the lawn" is not. The lawn is a one acre patch of grass that slopes down to the back of the lower tier of real seats. There is no shade and no protection from the rain. Unless you stake a claim to a space between three and 15 meters from the bottom edge of the lawn, you will have trouble seeing the show, especially during the daytime. Your distance from the stage, glare from the sun and the darkness of the stage area all combine to reduce your visibility. The story is very different at night, however. Then only distance or placing yourself behind a pillar will interfere with your view. (Unless, of course, you experience an evening thunderstorm....) Since the seats for many shows sell out quickly, i.e. by April or May, you may only be able to get lawn tickets. (Five days ahead of a Saturday afternoon performance of Riverdance only the very last lawn ticket was available.) But even if only lawn tickets are left, pick an evening show, bring your rain gear, a blanket or beach towel, get there at least an hour early, especially if you are with a group. Wolf Trap allows you to bring your own picnic basket and beverages to the lawn. Getting to Wolftrap: Use the Metro and the special buses that run between the West Falls Church Station and Wolf Trap. (The buses skip the line of cars that backs up waiting to park.)

Pentagon Events

During the late Spring, Summer, and early Fall there are special events and performances held in the Pentagon Courtyard and sometimes elsewhere in the building. For instance, you might have an opportunity to hear the Vice President speak, watch the change of command ceremony for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, or simply hear the U.S. Army Chorale give a free concert. To learn about upcoming special events, look for the rack of flyers called Building Circulars (this is an ironic name for a building with flat sides....) You can find the rack of Building circulars somewhere inside most Pentagon entrances. In this rack you can normally find a single page Building Circular entitled, oddly enough, "Upcoming Events." Or you can check the Building Circulars website for the upcoming events circular.

Chapter 12 - Health Care Services - top

Medical

More Than 30 Days of Active Duty - If you are on active duty for a period of more than 30 days, you are legally entitled to full military medical benefits. You would normally go on sick call at the Pentagon's DiLorenzo Army Health Clinic. The clinic is open from 0700 to 1600, Monday through Friday. In 1999, the clinic was relocated next to the Ground Floor, Corridor 8 entrance to the Pentagon (this is the entrance that comes from North Parking and from the POAC). During normal duty hours and up until 2000 hours you can also obtain medical treatment at the Primary Care 100 clinic at Fort Myer. You must, however, first call them at (703) 696-3630/3467. For medical treatment at other times, call the Nurse Medical Consultant at DeWitt Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA at (800) 633-3948. You can also reach the DeWitt emergency room at (703) 805-0414/0106.

Bring the following documentation with you to the medical clinic: a green active duty ID card OR a red Reserve ID card and your active duty orders.

30 or Fewer Days of Active Duty or Inactive Duty Training - This includes two week annual training (AT), active duty for training (ADT), active duty for special work (ADSW) and both paid and unpaid inactive duty training (IDT).

Title 10, Section 1074a of the United States Code, as amended in 1986 provides that, "(a)...the following persons are entitled to the benefits described in subsection (b):

1. Each member of a uniformed service who incurs or aggravates and injury, illness, or disease in the line of duty while performing—
   1. active duty for a period of 30 days or less; or
   2. inactive-duty training.
2. Each member of a uniformed service who incurs or aggravates and injury, illness, or disease while traveling to or from the place at which that member is to perform or has performed—
   1. active duty for a period of 30 days or less; or
   2. inactive-duty training.
   b. A person described in subsection (a) is entitled to—
   1. the medical and dental care appropriate for the treatment of the injury, illness, or disease of that person until the resulting disability cannot be materially improved by further hospitalization or treatment; and
   2. subsistence during hospitalization.
      (c) A member is not entitled to benefits under this section if the injury, illness, or disease, or aggravation of an injury, illness, or disease described in subsection (a)(2), is the result of the gross negligence or misconduct of the member.
      Similar language is found in Chapter 4 of AR 40-3, Medical, Dental and Veterinary Care.

Obtaining Medical Treatment

Most Army medical facilities, including the Army Health Clinic in the Pentagon will provide you with appropriate treatment if you are on two weeks of annual training (AT). Before you seek treatment at the DiLorenzo Army Health Clinic in the Pentagon, however, you must make sure you are enrolled in DEERS. To enroll, take your Reserve ID card and a copy of your AT orders to the DEERS office in 5A286 (703-697-4110) or the DEERS office in 4A664 (697-1022). When you go to the Clinic, take your Reserve ID card and, just in case, a copy of orders showing that you are on active duty the day you come to seek treatment.

You have a very different problem if you are in drill status. In this case, you will generally not have documentation indicating you are currently performing IDT. Thus you will have to provide proof that you are currently on IDT. If you must seek medical or dental treatment while in drill (IDT) status in the Pentagon on a weekday, bring the following documentation with you:

• Reserve ID card
• The orders showing your assignment to the DIMA unit or Troop Program Unit.
• A written request from your Commander or appropriate Pentagon supervisor requesting that you be provided medical or dental treatment. An example of such a written request is found here.

Periodical Physical Exams - Periodic (every five years) physical exams for Reservists are not available from the Pentagon Army Health Clinic unless you are ordered to active duty for 120 days or more and have at least that many days remaining on your tour of duty. Periodic exams may be available at Fort Belvoir (703) 806-3395, Fort Myer (703) 696-3541/0068, Fort Meade (301) 677-8606, and Walter Reed Army Hospital (202) 782-7761. Call well ahead for an appointment. You must also have orders for a physical exam. These orders are normally issued by RC-PERSCOM.

Dental

For the moment there is a rather good Dental Clinic located in the back of the Pentagon’s Army Health Clinic. To get there, walk past the medical check-in desk at the entrance to the Pentagon Medical Clinic, turn left down the ramp, then take your first right. You do not have to stop and check in at the medical desk because there is a separate check-in desk at the Dental Clinic. They will handle dental emergencies on weekdays between the hours of 0730 and 1600. If you are in the Pentagon for a long enough tour of duty (a two week AT generally is not long enough) they will do routine x-rays, check up, cleaning and perhaps even new fillings.

For after hours dental emergencies, you must contact the emergency room at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (202) 782-1199 or the emergency room at DeWitt Army Hospital, Fort Belvoir, (703) 805-0414/0106. Walter Reed can be reached by taking Metrorail to Takoma Station on the Red Line, followed by a half mile walk west.

Pharmacy

There is an Army pharmacy in the Pentagon’s Army Health Clinic. It is open from 0715 to 1615 hours.

Chapter 13 - Where to Shop - top

The Concourse

See Welcome to the Pentagon, Facilities and Services for a complete listing of the shops on the Concourse and their hours of operation. The Concourse is on the second floor of the Pentagon. It's located where the E Ring would be on the southeast side of the building. The escaltors just outside the main guard station near the terminus of Corridor 10 on the Concourse lead down to the Pentagon Metrorail station.

ATM Machines

There are two ATM locations on the Concourse. Bank of America has several ATM machines on the north end of the Concourse. These machines accept the following ATM cards: Plus; Cirrus; Most; Honor; Armed Forces Financial Network (AFFN); 24 Hour Banking; Visa; and Mastercard. The Pentagon Federal Credit Union has three ATM machines also on the north end of the Concourse. These machines accept: Most; Penteller; Cirrus; Plus; The Exchange; Diners Club; AFFN; American Express; Visa; and Mastercard.

Check Cashing

I have been unable to find a location in the Pentagon that will cash an out-of-town personal check based on just your military ID card. You may cash a check at NationsBank if you have an account with them. You may also cash checks up to $100 per day at the Pentagon Federal Credit Union if you are a member. Anyone working in the Pentagon is eligible to become a member. Minimum deposit for a basic share account is $5.00. Inactive account fees may be charged. If you think you will be returning to the Pentagon, opening an account with PFCU would be a good idea. Their savings account interest rates are competitive. Also, there is a Base Exchange (BX) at Henderson Hall that will cash personal checks up to $150 per day. This is a 20 minute walk west northwest of the Pentagon. Similarly, the PX at Fort Myer will cash personal checks up to $150 per day. This is a 35 minute walk west northwest of the Pentagon.

Military Clothing Sales

The Tri-Service Military Clothing & Sales Store is located in Room 4C251, (703) 695-7508. Quality tailored uniforms can be ordered in three quality grades. They have an excellent selection of uniforms for all three military services and a limited selection of footwear.

Laundry

There is a dry cleaning concession on the east end of the Pentagon Concourse. There is also a dry cleaner located at the east end of Army Navy Drive (behind the DoubleTree Hotel). Neither the DoubleTree nor the Holiday Inn have Laundromats for their guests. In fact, coin operated Laundromats are not easily accessible on foot or by public transportation from the Pentagon area. Sometimes you can convince the security guard at the Bennington (a deluxe apartment building located at the intersection of Fern and 12th Street South) to let you use the building’s rather large coin operated washers and dryers (bring detergent and lots of change). Or perhaps you can talk yourself into the BOQ or BEQ at Fort Myer.

U. S. Post Office

There are Post Offices located in the Pentagon Concourse, the Crystal City Underground, at 1720 South Eads Street (just across Highway 1 from Crystal City proper), and at Fort Myers. To find more locations, click here

Shopping Malls

The biggest nearby shopping mall is called Pentagon City. It is an eight minute walk due south of the Pentagon. Use the Corridor 2 Pentagon entrance, then walk across South Parking and go through the pedestrian tunnel under Interstate 395.

Grocery Stores

The closest grocery store is Harris Teeter which is located across the street at Pentagon Row.

Defense Commissaries

There are commissaries located at Fort Myer, Fort Belvoir (the largest in DoD), Andrews AFB, Bolling AFB, Quantico Marine Base, Fort Detrick, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Fort Meade. See the USO Guide to Washington for a complete listing. Copies of the Guide can be obtained from the office of the Armed Forces Hostess Association (AFHA) located in Room 1A736, (703) 697-3180/6857. The AFHA office is open 0930-1430 weekdays.

Military Exchanges

Military exchanges are located at Henderson Hall ((703) 979-8420 or (800) 334-1547) (a 15 minute walk from the Pentagon), Fort Myer (a 30 minute walk from the Pentagon), Fort Belvoir (the largest exchange in DoD) (a 30 minute drive), Andrews AFB, Bolling AFB, Quantico Marine Base, Fort Detrick, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and Fort Meade. See the USO Guide to Washington for a complete listing of exchanges in the Washington metropolitan area.

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