News Release on Returning to Normal Operations on the Pentagon Reservation: Phase One

June 11, 2020

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Based upon analysis of local conditions, per the White House guidelines for Opening Up America Again, DOD Chief Management Officer Lisa Hershman will move the Pentagon Reservation to Phase One (Restricted) of the Pentagon Reservation Plan for Resilience, effective 12:01 a.m. EDT, Monday, June 15, 2020. Under Phase One, the Health Protection Condition (HPCON) for the Pentagon Reservation remains HPCON C.  The status of the Armed Forces Retirement Homes will not change; they will remain at HPCON D.

Main differences that may be seen starting Monday, as outlined below, are a slight increase of people in workspaces, more open entrances, and additional random testing of people entering facilities.

Under Phase One:

• Cloth face coverings are mandatory when 6-feet social distancing cannot be maintained.
• Social distancing of 6 feet is mandatory wherever possible, including in office workspaces.
• Gatherings are limited to a maximum of 10 people.
• Only mission essential personnel should be returning to workspaces.  
• Organizations should manage their workforce to meet the goal of no more than 40% of their workforce in office spaces, with 60% or more teleworking.
• Telework and other stay-at-home options should be maximized for vulnerable populations.
• Organizations should consider cohort or alternating schedules to meet workforce goals and social distancing requirements.
• DOD employees should take their temperature in the morning before leaving home.  Personnel should stay home and notify their supervisor if their temperature is 100.4 degrees F or 38 degrees C.
• DOD employees who are sick, ill, or exhibiting symptoms should stay home, notify their supervisor, and seek medical attention.
• Random screening (temperature and questions) of employees and contractors will occur at facility entrances. 
• Limited food court choices will be available.  Social distancing in common areas will be enforced. Pentagon Reservation athletic facilities remain closed.

Additionally, under Phase One at the Pentagon building:

• 100% screening of visitors will continue.
• The following pedestrian entrances will be open:
  • 24/7:  Corridor 2, Mall Entrance
  • 5 a.m. – 8 p.m., Monday – Friday:  Metro pedestrian entrance, Corridor 8, River Entrance, and Corridor 5 pedestrian entrance.
  • 6 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday – Friday:  Pentagon Metro Visitor Entrance
• The following will remain closed under Phase One:
  • Pentagon Library & Conference Center
  • Pentagon Athletic Center
  • Corridor 8 pedestrian bridge pedestrian booth (Connector/Press Lot) 
• The following vehicle entrances will be open:
  • 24/7: River Vehicle Access Point, North Rotary & Fern Vehicle Access Point, A&E Drive Vehicle Access Point, Boundary Channel Drive Vehicle Access Point, Heating & Refrigeration Plant Vehicle Access Point 
  • 5 a.m. – 8 p.m., Monday – Friday:  Mall Vehicle access and the Corridor 5 Vehicle Access Point
  • 6 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday – Friday:  North Village Vehicle Access Point and the Remote Delivery Facility
• Temporary parking clearances are available during Phase One. Individuals that do not have a temporary parking clearance may download the COVID-19 temporary clearance form from the WHS webpage: https://www.whs.mil/Coronavirus/#Parking 
  • Pentagon Parking Office hours of operation are 8 a.m. – noon, daily
  • Mark Center Parking Office (supports Suffolk Bldg.) is open Tuesday and Thursday, 8 a.m. – noon 
• The Pentagon Pass Office hours of operation are 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday, and 8:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. on Wednesdays
• The Mark Center Pass Office hours of operation are 7 a.m. – 2 p.m., Monday – Friday 

For further information, please see:

• CMO Lisa Hershman’s notification memo to the Secretary of Defense
• CMO Lisa Hershman’s memo to the Pentagon Reservation workforce
• https://www.whs.mil

DOD's Health Care Chief Discusses Pivot to Counter COVID-19

June 11, 2020 | BY JIM GARAMONE , DOD News

The coronavirus has shined a light onto the capabilities of the military health care system, and medics are responding, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs said.

Thomas McCaffery told the Defense Writers Group today that he spends about 80% to 90% of his time on the Military Health System's response to COVID-19.

It is not surprising, as he is responsible for ensuring the health of the force and that forces are capable and ready if called on to deploy.

McCaffery, who came to the job in 2017 from time in the private sector and state of California health care systems, was struck by the short-term nature of the system when he first came on board. "One of the things that I found really interesting, and somewhat challenging, was the fact that in the military … there is continual change in leadership levels," he said. 

He said he was struck that leadership positions turn over every two or three years, very different from his time in the civilian sector. "I was like, 'Wow, now that's a challenging dynamic,'" he said.

This works against long-term issues, but there's a flip side, he noted. "That is, our uniform leaders and our civilians are very, very good at adapting to change, and it's not something unique; they're used to it," he said. "It's part of the culture, part of their DNA. The health system leadership pivoted easily when the pandemic hit," he added.

The deployment of hospital ships to New York City and Los Angeles, the deployment of Army medical units to cities that include Seattle, Denver and Dallas, and the sharing of medical equipment with civilian hospitals are just some of the issues to which the Military Health System had to adjust, McCaffery said.

When U.S. medical forces are deployed, they usually are going overseas or perhaps to domestic areas affected by emergencies such as hurricanes, he said, and they deal with trauma rather than disease. "This was very different — a very different enemy," McCaffery said. "As we saw in New York City, we had several hundred of our uniformed medical providers actually helping staff civilian hospitals."

Another aspect is research, he said, and the Military Health System has been able to deal with the pandemic in that respect. "I kind of consider myself fairly educated on health care, but it wasn't until I got here [that I began] to realize the enormous role that the Military Health System plays in medical research and development," he said.

The military has a long-standing research arm that developed treatments for malaria, yellow fever and more to protect service members deployed around the world, McCaffery said. "But it often translates into supportive, kind of larger, social civilian health care sector," he added. "Obviously, we do research on vaccines, medical countermeasures for military purposes, keeping our troops safe. But we were very quick to pivot and leverage that kind of research that has already been going on for our military purposes, to … vaccine research and development for COVID therapeutics for treatment."

DOD Unveils Women, Peace, Security Strategy

June 11, 2020 | BY Jim Garamone , DOD News

Global conflict is evolving, and to illustrate that the United States military needs the expertise and viewpoints of all members of society for success. DOD has published the Women, Peace and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan as part of a national effort to promote the safety, equality and meaningful contributions of women around the world, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman said.

"By recognizing the diverse roles women play across the spectrum of conflict — and by incorporating their perspectives throughout plans and operations — DOD is better equipped to promote our security, confront near-peer competitors, and defeat our adversaries," he said.

Stephanie Hammond, the acting assistant secretary of defense for stability and humanitarian affairs, briefed the strategic framework during a webinar hosted by the American Enterprise Institute. She said the plan recognizes that identifying "sustainable security approaches that meet the unique needs of an entire population is greater than ever."

From the "Yeomanettes" and "Hello Girls" of World War I through the establishment of the Women's Army Corps and Women's Airforce Service Pilots during World War II to engagement teams of women serving in Afghanistan, the roles and viewpoints women offer to operations have grown officials said, and this plan seeks to ensure this process continues.

Adversaries — from near-peer competitors to ISIS — seek strategic advantages through the global recruitment and exploitation of diverse populations. "We must work together to continue to empower and train diverse talent," Hammond said. 

The Women, Peace and Security Strategy agenda is key to upholding international human rights and the rules-based international order the United States and its allies and partners seek to maintain, and it is part of a whole-of-government approach, Hammond explained. She was joined in the webinar by speakers from the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Agency for International Development. 

It will help the department strengthen alliances and attract new partners by demonstrating U.S. commitment to human rights and women's empowerment, making the United States the partner of choice."

Stephanie Hammond, acting assistant secretary of defense for stability and humanitarian affairs

Hammond said she sees the plan as a unique engagement opportunity to strengthen relationships with allies and partners through collective efforts to reinforce women's empowerment, meaningful participation and decision-making, protection from violence and access to resources.

"When we recognize the diverse roles women play as agents of change; and when we incorporate their perspectives throughout our plans and operations, we are better equipped to promote our security, confront our near peer competitors, and defeat our adversaries," she said.

Strategies are great, but if they are not followed, they are just so much clutter on bookshelves. DOD has an implementation plan it will follow to ensure this is not a meaningless effort, Hammond said. 

The department will work toward fully incorporating the perspectives of women in military activities, operations and investments across the continuum of conflict and crisis, Hammond said. "This is the first departmentwide strategy that outlines how the department will support the intent of the [Women, Peace, Security] strategy through attention to the composition of our personnel and the development of our policies, plans, doctrine, training, operations, and exercises," she added.

This approach will support the lines of effort in the 2018 National Defense Strategy, Hammond said. "It will help the department strengthen alliances and attract new partners by demonstrating U.S. commitment to human rights and women's empowerment, making the United States the partner of choice," shed said.

Hammond outlined three DOD objectives of the Women, Peace Security strategy:

• To be a diverse organization that allows for women's meaningful participation across the development, management and employment of the joint force; 
• To work with partner nations to see women meaningfully participate in serving all ranks, and in all occupations in defense and security sectors; and 
• To ensure women and girls are safe and secure, and that their human rights are protected, especially during conflict and crisis.

This is the first DOD-wide strategy written to promote the meaningful inclusion of women across the spectrum of conflict, to strengthen partnerships and increase effectiveness and national security capabilities, Hammond said. 

This will not happen overnight. The plan lays out a series of intermediate defense objectives and effects to establish and improve policy frameworks and support achievements in gender equality, Hammond said.

Related News Release: Statement From Chief Pentagon Spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman on the Release of the Women, Peace, and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan

Related Publication: Women Peace and Security Strategic Framework and Implementation Plan