The Pentagon Has Turned into a Covid Panic Room

A nonsensical web of policies present in the buildings of the Department of Defense doesn’t do anything to aid our military readiness.

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Members of the military wear masks at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va., October 8, 2020.

Erin Scott/Reuters

As my son’s school continues with in-person instruction, the federal government, at the direction of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), is using the latest Covid scare as an excuse to waste even more taxpayer funds and remains largely remote. The Department of Defense and the Pentagon dutifully comply with this nonsense. Once upon a time, decreased mask-wearing was held out as a reward for increased vaccination, but vaccination rates have increased while masks remain mandatory virtually everywhere within the Department. And now, on top of this, the DoD and the Pentagon have gone to what is called Health Protection Condition level Charlie (HPCON C). These protocols severely restrict the number of in-office personnel, as well as facility use. A fuller examination of these new policies shows that we have completely lost any sense of risk assessment; our nation and national security are suffering for it.

What exactly is HPCON C? Well, here are just some of the most ridiculous measures put in place at the Pentagon and our overflow offices as a result of these protocols (on top of the virtually universal indoor masking already enforced):

MS

About the Author

Matt Schoenfeldt

Matt Schoenfeldt is a retired field artillery officer, former strategic planner at the Pentagon, and a commissioned officer of over 20 years. He previously wrote for NR as Robert M. Berg.

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