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WASHINGTON, March 8, 1996 – The Marines have landed in the Pentagon after 54 years in temporary quarters.
"We think in this era of jointness it is important for all the services to be close together," Pentagon spokesman Ken Bacon said. The commandant of the Marine Corps and his immediate staff moved from the Navy Annex, about a mile from the Pentagon, into offices next to the Secretary of the Navy Dec. 11, 1995. "The Marine Corps commandant was the only service chief not in the Pentagon," said a Marine spokesperson. "Joint issues are everincreasing in importance. Being [in the Pentagon] to discuss those issues and help make those decisions is key." The commandant's move kicks off a larger exodus from the Navy Annex. Originally built as a warehouse in 1941, the huge building overlooking the Pentagon has housed Marine Corps headquarters and many Navy offices. Corps officials said there have been many suggestions in the past to move the commandant's office into the Pentagon. Past commandants polled about the situation agreed it was the smart thing to do, said a Marine Corps spokesperson. Other portions of the headquarters will move this summer. Marine Corps Personnel and Reserve Affairs will move from the Navy Annex to Quantico Marine Base in 2000.
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