Pentagon architecture and historical significance

Government agencies [...] U.S. Pentagon, including unique, historic, relevant, and symbolic characteristics of the headquarters of the Department of Defense, and how important the Pentagon is to the United States of America. The Pentagon is more than a distinctive building in Washington, D.C. It is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense, and stands for the strength of America and her people.

The Pentagon is a relatively new addition to Washington, D.C. It was built during sixteen months between 1941 and 1943, at a final cost of about $83 million. It is an imposing structure, five stories tall, with 6,636,360 square feet of floor space, and 17.5 miles of corridors. The building is made of reinforced concrete outer walls, wood framing, and a slate roof (Editors, Matthews). At the time of building, defense departments were operating all over the Washington area, and the building was necessary to consolidate operations during World War II and beyond. The Pentagon is actually located in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington itself, but it is considered part of the Washington government. It is the largest office building in the world, with three times the floor space of the Empire State Building (Editors). The building was created to bring all defense workers in Washington under one roof, which freed up other office space in the Capital, and made it easier for defense workers to communicate and do their jobs. In addition, the building is based on geometric principles of five. The building is a five-sided "pentagon," it has five floors, and "five concentric rings connected by ten corridors that run, like spokes, from the inner ring to the outer. Interior courtyards that provide light separate the rings" (Johnson). However, the building was also built with safety in mind. The basement is divided into fire-safe areas, and the masonry construction is fire resistant. Many important rooms have their own specific fire-fighting systems, and there are sprinklers, fire extinguishers, and hoses located strategically throughout the building (Matthews). This may be one of the reasons the building was not more heavily damaged in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

The terrorist attack on the Pentagon could have been much worse. When American Airlines flight 77 hit the Pentagon, it could not have hit at a better place. The area where the plane hit was still under renovation from previous projects, and many of the people that worked in that area had not yet returned to their offices, which were emptied during the renovation. The plane crashed into Wedge 1 of the building, and most of the offices inside Wedge 1 were still empty. One hundred eighty-nine people died in the attack inside the building, and another 64 were on the plane that crashed into the building. However, if Wedge 1 had been fully populated, many thousands could have died in the attack. In addition, the construction renovation added safety features that helped contain the damage. One reporter notes, "Blast-proof windows that are still in their frames, bolted-down joints that are made to take such an impact, and other marvels of construction and engineering such as steel re-enforced joints, kept the plane from plunging farther into the five rings and five stories of the building" (Drummond 3). It took only one year to fully reconstruct the damaged area, and most people had moved into their rebuilt offices by the first anniversary of the attacks.

The terrorist attacks indicate just how well the building was constructed, but they also show the Pentagon symbolizes pure power and strength during all forms of adversity. The building was created during adverse times, and today houses the very core of America's military defense strategy and deployment. "The Pentagon" not only symbolizes the building, but the very defense of America, and those who work there are the best in military operations. The building also houses the Army Library, one of the largest collections of military information in the world with over 300,000 publications, and so, the operations inside the Pentagon are paramount to America's safety and military defense. The building itself is built to withstand adversity, and the people inside understand how valuable their services are, and how important and vital they are to a country that is repeatedly becoming one of the most visible targets on Earth to terrorists and other subversive organizations. The safety of all Americans relies on the leaders in the Pentagon, and so, the building represents strength, leadership, and American principles in action.

The leaders at the Pentagon are responsible for American defense at home and around the world. They create the military budget, and decide just what military funds should be spent on. They decide the size of America's defense force, and what new weapons should be used and stockpiled. One writer notes that recently:

the Pentagon has tripled its inventory of long-range missiles to attack ground targets (and upgraded many older missiles). After the Cold War ended, the government added 2,662 Tomahawks and other missiles to its arsenal. It increased air power capabilities by modernizing 961 night-capable aircraft and 707 precision-guided munitions-capable aircraft (Greider 41).

Thus, even in peacetime (when Greider wrote his commentary), the Pentagon keeps inventories updated and ready for anything. The Pentagon is responsible for day-to-day defense of the country, and because of that, it is one of the most important military defense positions on Earth. The 23,000 people who work in the Pentagon represent the very best in military defense, and indicate just how strong the American military force really is. Without the command force at the Pentagon, American forces would lack continuity and cohesion.

Of course, this does not imply that the Pentagon and its' operations are infallible. Past experience has shown that change is difficult at the Pentagon and in the Department of Defense. Two writers state, "Changing large organizations is always difficult, and it is especially hard at the world's largest organization, the Pentagon, where special civil service rules, arcane budget and accounting practices, and unique cultural issues converge to make change difficult" (Mcinerney and Pages). Because of this, the Pentagon and its management tend to do things "the way we always have," which is not always the most effective method of leadership and defense. In addition, the defense-spending budget has been declining for decades, leaving the Pentagon with less to work with in a time when most defense items cost more, rather than less. In addition, often many of the Pentagon's top leaders are more experienced in military affairs, rather than budgetary concerns. Writers Mcinerney and Pages continue, "When faced with budget cutbacks, they know how to trim fighter wings or reorganize divisions but are poorly equipped to reengineer business functions such as payroll services, health care, and accounting" (Mcinerney and Pages). Thus, in times of low spending, many of the Pentagon's officials may not be able to effectively cut spending in areas where it will not affect the military might and organization of the country. Obviously, there are places where funding could be effectively cut, or moved to different areas of the budget. The Pentagon's military leaders are some of the best in the world, but no one is perfect, and the defense of the nation could be improved, as could the spending and outlay for other non-military items. In addition, it was quite popular for many years to cut military spending. Because of this, at a time when America is severely threatened by terrorism and world forces such as North Korea, the military equipment used to protect the country is getting older. Experts state, "If present trends continue, the military of 2015 will be operating with very antiquated equipment. Under current budget plans, the average age of bombers will reach 35 years by 2010, and heavy attack helicopters will approach nearly 25 years in age" (Mcinerney and Pages). Thus, Pentagon leaders must work even harder to create more understanding in the American people so they will empower Congress to create more funding for crucial military budgets that must be raised to help defend America from aggressors and terrorists.