On August 31, DefenseNews published an article by Forward Defense nonresident senior fellow James Hasik, titled: “Close the Pentagon — it’s too big of a target.” The article argues that the Pentagon office building is a risk to the Department of Defense (DoD) because of its size and immobility, which leave it vulnerable to emerging weapons systems and highly precise, long-range strikes by near-peer adversaries. The building also forces costly officer rotations and encourages a culture of groupthink. Therefore, according to Hasik, at a moment when many defense officials are working well remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, the DoD should consider dispersing its leadership beyond the Pentagon.
Hasik was subsequently interviewed by Government Matters on September 2, for a segment entitled “Assessing the need for the Pentagon building.”
What really matters is dispersing that concentration of leadership beyond one building in northern Virginia, lest we someday lose it all at once.
