The Pentagon

The Pentagon is the headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense.

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The Pentagon was dedicated on January 15, 1943 and it is the world's largest office building. Those who work within its walls often simply call it "the Building" or "Fort Fumble." The term "the Pentagon" is often used to refer to the Department of Defense, rather than the building itself. The building, located in Arlington County, Virginia is pentagon-shaped in plan and houses approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel, making it the highest-capacity low-rise office building in the world. It has five floors above ground (and two basement levels) and each floor has five ring corridors. Its unusual shape results from the fact that its originally intended site, Arlington Farms, was surrounded by five roads. Franklin D. Roosevelt had it moved to its current location because he didn't want the new building to obstruct the view of Washington D.C. from Arlington Cemetery. http://www.dtic.mil/ref/html/Welcome/general.html

Related Topics:
January 15 - 1943 - Office building - Arlington County - Virginia - Pentagon - Military - Civilian - Arlington Farms - Franklin D. Roosevelt - Washington D.C. - Arlington Cemetery

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The Pentagon was constructed to replace the Department of Defense's (then called the Department of War) previous home: a series of 'temporary' buildings erected during World War I which nearly covered the National Mall. Built during the early years of World War II, with construction supervised by the future Manhattan Project supervisor Leslie Groves, it is still thought of as one of the most efficient office buildings in the world. Despite 17.5 miles (28 km) of corridors it takes a maximum of seven minutes to walk between any two points in the building.

Related Topics:
Department of War - World War I - National Mall - World War II - Manhattan Project - Leslie Groves

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It was built from 680,000 tons of sand and gravel dredged from the nearby Potomac River that were processed into 435,000 cubic yards (330,000 m³) of concrete and molded into the pentagon shape. Very little steel was used in its design due to the needs of the war effort.

Related Topics:
Sand - Gravel - Potomac River - Concrete - Steel

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At five acres (20,000 m²), the central plaza in the Pentagon is the largest "no-salute, no-cover" area (where hats need not be worn and salutes are not required) in the world. The open space in the center is informally known as ground zero, a nickname originating during the Cold War when it was thought of as the most likely target of a nuclear missile. At the center of the plaza is the "Ground Zero Cafe," a snack bar. One 'legend' states that due to the heavy traffic into this cafe (evidenced by satellite imagery), Soviet intelligence concluded it was a center for highly secret research.

Related Topics:
Ground zero - Cold War - Nuclear missile

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Beginning in 1998, and scheduled to continue through 2010, the Pentagon has been undergoing a major renovation, known as the Pentagon Renovation Program. This program involves the complete gutting and reconstruction of the entire building in phases, to bring the building up to modern standards, improving security and providing greater efficiency for Pentagon tenants.

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Sixty years to the day after groundbreaking on the Pentagon, the September 11, 2001 attacks occurred. American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building, causing part of it to collapse and killing 125 people in addition to the 64 aboard the plane. For pictures and graphics showing the damage in the impact see this briefing.

Related Topics:
September 11, 2001 attacks - American Airlines Flight 77

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Contractors involved in the Pentagon Renovation Program were also charged with the task of rebuilding the damaged section of the Pentagon following the attacks. This additional project was named the "Phoenix Project", with the goal of having the outermost offices in the damaged section occupied again by September 11, 2002. Part of the renovation involved adding improved security features, including walls and windows with greater blast resistance. The aircraft struck on the edge between two sections—one of which had just finished being upgraded. An initial analysis suggested that the section's improvements had saved lives, enabling more people to evacuate. Repairs included demolition of the damaged areas, and complete rebuilding of the area that had previously been renovated, and reconstruction of the shell of the unrenovated section. The first Pentagon tenants whose offices were damaged in the attack began moving back in on August 15, 2002, nearly a month ahead of schedule. http://renovation.pentagon.mil/Phoenix/Phoenix.htm http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2196233.stm

Related Topics:
Contractors - September 11 - 2002 - Wall - Window - Blast - August 15

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Just south of the Pentagon are Pentagon City and Crystal City, extensive shopping and high-density residential districts in Arlington. Arlington National Cemetery is to the north. A Washington Metro station is also located at the Pentagon, on the Blue and Yellow Lines. The station, located under the Pentagon, is under heavy 24-hour surveillance, and armed guards are on duty just outside the station entrance.

Related Topics:
Pentagon City - Crystal City - Arlington National Cemetery - Washington Metro - Station - Blue - Yellow

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