I want to know who advocated for this guy's hiring

[Old Navy BGO]

Does this surprise anyone ? Think about why so many people are employed in the Pentagon!

The Pentagon was built during WWII, when our Armed Services was many multiples of it current size, and all operational and logistical functions were performed manually. Today, we have unlimited computer and automation, much better communications, and still the Pentagon employs almost as many people as it did in the heyday of WWII. Each Service should have to publish their civilian organizational chart, with an overlay of WWII v. modern military, so we can all see the bloat.

There are many offices in the Pentagon that have no real relevance to the mission of putting warheads on foreheads. Worse, the people that staff these offices think their little corner of the world is the most important thing, and don't see the big picture, and drag the warfighters down with paperwork and BS.

Every time I go to DC, I walk the streets and look at all the Government buildings, and wonder why? It's pretty telling when the federal government can go into shutdown mode , furlough all the non-essential workers, and nobody can tell (unless someone is trying to make a political impact by shutting down a National Park).

This is not a rant against Government workers -- there are many dedicated public employees who do their jobs...but rather a a question whether all of these jobs and programs are really necessary ?

 

[LineInTheSand]

Don't forget the soldiers you pay to wave a giant flag at NFL games (paid for by DOD).

I think you were walking through the wrong part of DC... during the shutdown you could definitely tell... as could the business that lost 30% of their revenue during that period.

What you should be asking is, why do we need so many service members? How many sailors on restriction do we need handling lines? How many service members do we really need on exchange with other parts of the government, so they.... what? Get a feel for departments they'll never work in? How many XXXXXX War College, or XXXX Universities do we need?

Because we want to start talking about bloat, there is not a more bloated part of the federal government than the Department of Defense. And that includes uniformed members....

$2 billion B-2s, F-35s that don't like hot weather, LCSs that are redundant to other capabilities,

hey, but at least they get to sponsor NASCAR cars....

 

[A1Janitor]

Does this surprise anyone ? Think about why so many people are employed in the Pentagon!

The Pentagon was built during WWII, when our Armed Services was many multiples of it current size, and all operational and logistical functions were performed manually. Today, we have unlimited computer and automation, much better communications, and still the Pentagon employs almost as many people as it did in the heyday of WWII. Each Service should have to publish their civilian organizational chart, with an overlay of WWII v. modern military, so we can all see the bloat.

There are many offices in the Pentagon that have no real relevance to the mission of putting warheads on foreheads. Worse, the people that staff these offices think their little corner of the world is the most important thing, and don't see the big picture, and drag the warfighters down with paperwork and BS.

Every time I go to DC, I walk the streets and look at all the Government buildings, and wonder why? It's pretty telling when the federal government can go into shutdown mode , furlough all the non-essential workers, and nobody can tell (unless someone is trying to make a political impact by shutting down a National Park).

This is not a rant against Government workers -- there are many dedicated public employees who do their jobs...but rather a a question whether all of these jobs and programs are really necessary ?

My father was an English professor in upstate NY.

He talks about how Albany’s education department bureaucracy grew. Same issue you state ... and education in NYS has decreased as a result.

 

[Old Navy BGO]

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Tammy Duckworth lost both her legs while defending her country. Like it or not, that confers upon her a certain moral standing and credibility when it comes to military matters

I respectfully disagree; Sen Duckworth deserves our respect and gratitude for her service and sacrifice, but don't think that anyone gets more standing or credibility simply based upon their rank or military record. If there is a particular experience that is relevant to the issue at hand, I give the opinion more credibility, but one of my pet peeves is those that think they get automatic credibility because they served,

 

[LurkingQuietly]

What exactly is your point about Sen. Duckworth?

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Tammy Duckworth lost both her legs while defending her country. Like it or not, that confers upon her a certain moral standing and credibility when it comes to military matters. I’m no political ally of hers, but your flippant comment begs explanatio

@MidcakesPA.....Did you read the Original Poster's article and Juxtaposition with the article I linked to?

 

[flieger83]

I respectfully disagree; Sen Duckworth deserves our respect and gratitude for her service and sacrifice, but don't think that anyone gets more standing or credibility simply based upon their rank or military record. If there is a particular experience that is relevant to the issue at hand, I give the opinion more credibility, but one of my pet peeves is those that think they get automatic credibility because they served,

Concur.

Steve

 

[usafcellist2026]

Stay off social media kids. As has been said before, on an interview, when asked "Does your social media profile accurately reflect you," it is advisable to be in a position to respond "I have no social media profile, sir."

Thank goodness.

My parents don't allow social media, and it was frustrating at first not gonna lie. The past year I'm extremely grateful to not be on any social media (unless the forums count?), it's a weight I'm glad to not carry.

 

[Will McLean]

fact check - the Pentagon was built before we entered WWII and when the War Department was even smaller than todays DOD.

 

[cb7893]

fact check - the Pentagon was built before we entered WWII and when the War Department was even smaller than todays DOD.

Fact check: According to Wikipedia, ground was broken two months before Pearl Harbor and a formal declaration of war, not that we weren’t already waist deep in it in Europe.

I don’t get the relevance of the fact that the DOD is much larger than the Department of War, prior to WWII.

Am curious to what extent the decision to build the Pentagon was in anticipation of a growing role for the US or for simple reasons of consolidation and efficiency, ie having everyone in one building.

 

[kinnem]

Fact check: According to Wikipedia, ground was broken two months before Pearl Harbor and a formal declaration of war, not that we weren’t already waist deep in it in Europe.

I don’t get the relevance of the fact that the DOD is much larger than the Department of War, prior to WWII.

Am curious to what extent the decision to build the Pentagon was in anticipation of a growing role for the US or for simple reasons of consolidation and efficiency, ie having everyone in one building.

I believe most of the military HQ personnel worked in temporary buildings that were put up on the Capitol Mall during the early years of WWII. The Pentagon was built as a permanent, purpose built, facility and the temporary buildings were torn down.

 

[Devil Doc]

The War and Navy departments were in this building once upon a time. I'm glad it wasn't demolished years ago as someone wanted. I was stationed at two HQ commands in DC and visited several grand buildings and my office was in a spectacular place (old naval observatory) at one time. When people say, "I work at the White House," chances are good they work next door in the EEOB. Their section may have an office or cube at 1600 for the boss and a couple cats and dogs, like medical for example. I've been to both buildings and the details in EEOB are a bunch times better, especially considering the White House has been burned and rebuilt and totally taken down to the walls and studs and rebuilt.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, DC

www.gsa.gov

 

[cb7893]

The War and Navy departments were in this building once upon a time. I'm glad it wasn't demolished years ago as someone wanted. I was stationed at two HQ commands in DC and visited several grand buildings and my office was in a spectacular place (old naval observatory) at one time. When people say, "I work at the White House," chances are good they work next door in the EEOB. Their section may have an office or cube at 1600 for the boss and a couple cats and dogs, like medical for example. I've been to both buildings and the details in EEOB are a bunch times better, especially considering the White House has been burned and rebuilt and totally taken down to the walls and studs and rebuilt.

Dwight D. Eisenhower Executive Office Building, Washington, DC

www.gsa.gov

Love the fact that it once housed the War, Navy and State departments.

My Freshman year at GW, I saw it everyday returning to my dorm at 19th and F. It's still my favorite old Building in DC.

 

[Devil Doc]

The state department took over the Old Naval Observatory a few years ago. BUMED used to be there and my office was in the old observatory. It was formerly the superintendent's office. Matthew Maury quilled his letter to President Lincoln resigning from the USN upon the outbreak of the War Between the States. A plaque hung at the doorway stating that fact. We got a lot of tourists in the building and most were conducted by the Navy Medicine historian, Jan Kenneth Herman, a gem of a man.

One day in the central rotunda, he was doing a tour with a rather large group and I walked out of my office at the exact moment he was talking about the office, the letter, the plaque, and Commodore Maury and whatnot and he said, "And there he is right there." I was in my khaki uniform and just standing in the hall by the door and the tourists looked and I swear, at least half of them let out an audible gasp. He and I started laughing and when half the group figured out it was a gag, they started laughing. The remainder were either POd or confused.

 

[Will McLean]

I believe most of the military HQ personnel worked in temporary buildings that were put up on the Capitol Mall during the early years of WWII. The Pentagon was built as a permanent, purpose built, facility and the temporary buildings were torn down.

some of the temp buildings on the mall were there into the early 60s, another at National Airport wasn't torn down until 1973. Another interesting bit of trivia - the supervising engineer on the Pentagon construction was Colonel Leslie Groves, a short time later BGen Groves was put in charge of the Manhattan Project