WASHINGTON (Army News Service, April 29, 2016) -- More than 120 children of military and civilian government workers visited the Pentagon April 28, for a chance to see what their parents' professions are all about and to take a tour of the corridors where historical military memorabilia is on display.
As part of "Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day," which has been held the fourth Thursday of April since 2007, the Office of the Secretary of Defense opened the Pentagon press room to the mostly 7- to 13-year-olds children of Pentagon employees, allowing them the chance to be reporters and ask questions during a mock press briefing. Afterward, children were allowed to take photos behind the briefing room lectern.
Steven Schleien, chief operating officer, office of the under secretary of defense for policy, said the Pentagon program was more than just taking your children to the office where they might just sit around all day. Rather, he said, it's a structured program that's designed to be fun and activity-based.
Aside from support by the Defense Press Office, the program has had great support by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, which puts on K-9 handling and dog demonstrations in the courtyard, though yesterday's event was rained out.
The kids learned how to prepare for potential disasters and emergencies through a simulated "zombie apocalypse," hosted by the Pentagon Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Defense. Lastly, the youngsters learned the importance of preparedness in the event of a fire. That event was sponsored by the Pentagon Fire Marshal Office. Kids were treated to toy fire hats and dog tags.
"We get together a list of the displays in the Pentagon and we make it kind of a scavenger hunt where the kids go to various exhibits and learn about humanitarian efforts such as landmine removal in foreign countries, the role of NATO in peace-keeping, the Purple Heart and how many people serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, then answer questions about what they saw," Schleien said.
Former Soldier and Kosovo veteran Nicholas Janeway is an Army civilian who just began a three-month internship at the Pentagon. He is almost as new to the building as his 13-year-old daughter Allysa is, so the day provided them both a chance to bond and explore the space as a team. She already knows her dad walks about five miles daily just moving around the massive building, so she's expecting a good tour.
"We're new to the Washington area and this is my first time in the Pentagon," the 8th grader said. "We've lived in San Diego most of my life, then we moved to Fort Knox, Kentucky, then to Fort Meade, Maryland, and now here to D.C ... it's pretty crazy, but I get to meet new people and it's important to see what my dad does because I didn't really know until today.
"I think it's really cool that I get to hang out with my dad all day because I wake up after he leaves for work, then my mom home-schools me," she added. "He comes home after I'm done with school so I normally don't see him during the day. This is really nice spending time with him."
Her dad is also grateful for the time together touring the Pentagon. He says his daughter can appreciate seeing the headquarters of the U.S. military.
"I was in the Army, her mother was in the Navy, her older sister is in the Army at Fort Bliss and then her older brother is joining the Air Force this summer ... my dad was in the Army, her grandmother was in the Army so we come from a long family line of military," said Janeway. "She understands and appreciates the military. Plus, living in San Diego, all our friends are Navy and Marine Corps. She's grown up around it, so to see where a lot of decisions are made is really important to a kid her age."
Third grader Andrew Kaine came to the Pentagon to see what his father, Army Col. James W. Kaine, does as a cyber officer. While he still isn't entirely sure what that means, he knows his dad works behind closed doors and doesn't talk about his job at home.
During the morning press brief, the nine-year-old was a quick study when the press officer told the gathered youngsters the history of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, then asked for feedback on the definition of the Cold War.
"I told him it was a fight between America and Russia to see who could be the dominant nation, in both progress and in building new weapons," he said with confidence. Young Kaine went on to say this was the first time he'd been to work with his dad but "I've been here for his promotion, and that was neat."
"Given families are such a part of the unit at that level, here at the Pentagon we work at a distant place, it's a commute and there's not a lot of openness with the family on what I do exactly," said Kaine who's spent more than 20 years as an artillery officer. "He's seen the guns, airborne operations and Soldiers in the field, and now he gets to meet some of my Pentagon co-workers and spend a day at the hub and the heart of the Department of Defense ... it's good for the kids because the service is a family thing and this extends that to them."
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