Good soldiers retire around the rank of 'Colonel'

The Pentagon is moderately impressive when viewed from the from the outside, and there is no denying that it is an ingenious design in a purely functional sense. Mind you, you can say much the same about a guillotine.

You can, reportedly (if you don’t get lost, which is the most likely outcome), walk anywhere in the vast complex in no more than a brisk seven minutes which is a neat trick given that “The Building” – as insiders call it – provides office space for about 23,000 people. Floors are separated by ramps rather than by stairs. It could be a roller skaters’ paradise. Jamaica could train its next bob sleigh team there.

Such tricks apart, the place is pretty horrible internally (it was designed to be a government hospital so what else can you expect) and bears a frightening resemblance to one of those laboratory maze experiments where rats are trained to do dubious things before being sliced open and having their entrails examined.

Office space is unbelievably cramped – unless you are a general or the civilian equivalent (in which case you do have room to practice your golf game); daylight is minimal or non existent for most; ceilings are low and oppressive; rooms are disturbingly ill proportioned; the décor would make a prison interior designer weep; and the less said about the food the better. Overall, it’s a tacky place from which to plan world domination which may explain why we’re not doing so well at it.

The Pentagon is a lousy place in which to think.

Great architecture does make a difference. It uplifts, it inspires and it invigorates – and it also allows you to breathe because all those tall ceilings allow the air to circulate. Why do think the Pope is not worried by a non stop diet of priestly sex scandals. He just takes a gentle jog around St. Peter’s, says “Wow!” does a soft shoe shuffle and regains his sense of proportion.

Mind you, the Capitol, a truly impressive chunk of real estate, does not seem to have the same uplifting effect on Congress. They are continuing, quite happily, and at a brisk tempo, to spend this Nation into War Debt induced recession.

Still, I am not claiming that architecture is the only element in the human equation. In the final analysis, character and competence are the deciding factors. I was to going to add “integrity” but I live in hopes that such is still part of character or this society is in more trouble than I thought.

Here I pay tribute to Lieutenant Colonel George Krivo whose retirement award ceremony my daughter, Evie, and I, attended last Friday, June 24 2005. He was an exceptional officer and the Army will be poorer without him. They gave him a well deserved Legion of Merit to add to his medal collection. He remains a remarkably fine human being and will prosper in civilian life.

George could almost certainly have made general, but retired for family reasons. That said, it is a sad but observable fact that an alarming proportion of the better officers in the Army top out at O5 or O6 level (Lieutenant Colonel or Colonel). At general officer level, the Club of Generals seems to prefer careerists to character. The consequences, at a time of war, are self evident. And thus soldiers die.

Victor.