THE JCS CONFERENCE ROOM: 'n early 1942, the new US Joint Chiefs of Staff and US-British ComLbined Chiefs of Staff organizations moved into the US Public Health Building in Washington, DC, on Constitution Avenue between 19th and 20th Streets, NW. The building was soon redesignated the Combined Chiefs of Staff Building. Here the Joint Chiefs of Staff held their first formal meeting on 9 February 1942 in a conference room on the second floor (restored by the building's later occupant, the Interior Department, in 1992). They continued to use this room throughout World War II. The conference room, or "presentation" room as it was initially called, soon became known as "The Tank." A popular explanation of the origin of this nickname is that access to the entrance used by staff officers was down a flight of stairs through an arched portal, supposedly giving the impression of entering a tank. The nickname survived the JCS Conference Room's moves to various locations. In January 1946 "The Tank" moved with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the New War Department Building at 21st Street and Virginia Avenue, NW (later the US Department of State Building). In April 1947 the conference room moved with the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Pentagon, where it has occupied several locations on the second floor. From April 1947 until October 1949 it was located on corridor 2 in the D ring. The JCS Conference Room then moved to corridor 9 in the C ring. Since August 1957 "The Tank" has been on corridor 9 in the E ring. In addition to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Operations Deputies and the Deputy Operations Deputies may meet there. |