Lost (and found) in the 'Puzzle Palace' Published Aug. 9, 2011 By Lt. Col. Douglas Jackson 436th Operations Support Squadron DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. -- On the southwest banks of the Potomac River lies the Pentagon -- headquarters of the U.S. Department of Defense. To many of the 25,000 uniformed and civilian employees who overfill the cubicles, courtyards and coffee shops of the Pentagon, the building is less-formally known as the 'Puzzle Palace.' This moniker is well-earned, some argue (not me, of course, but some), both because of the challenge of navigating the Pentagon's metaphorical pitfalls and because of the difficulty in physically moving around the labyrinthine structure. Indeed, during my first months in the building, I am certain I burned more calories getting lost on my way to and from the fitness center than I actually did during my daily workouts. Throughout my tenure on the Air Staff, like many of the younger officers stationed at the Pentagon, I occasionally became frustrated by the grind of the 'Puzzle Palace.' How can we possibly communicate effectively as an organization, I would wonder, and perhaps even more alarmingly, am I actually having a positive impact within our Air Force? Initially these questions gnawed at me and I often felt lost in a bureaucratic jungle of presentation slides, taskers and quad charts. I eventually learned, however, like all difficult puzzles, the key to understanding the Pentagon was to first understand the borders and the walls. For me, the walls of the Pentagon spoke more clearly than any of the challenges the building contained. During my daily walk through corridor 10, for example, I passed a tribute to our 125 military and civilian teammates who were killed in the Pentagon during the terrorist attacks of 9/11. These heroes would undoubtedly move heaven and earth for just one more day with their families, friends and co-workers. The memorial highlighted our collective, solemn responsibilities to honor the memories of our fallen brothers and sisters in arms who died defending America's freedom. Personally, I was reminded it is my sacred obligation to accomplish the mission I am tasked with each day, be that in an airfield in Iraq, the flight deck of a C-5 or the area of responsibility of the National Capital Region. Further within the halls of the Pentagon hangs a remarkable tribute to the Chief of Staff of the Air Force's Portraits in Courage honorees. The 18 Airmen memorialized in this display include four heroes who paid the ultimate sacrifice to ensure the blessings of liberty for each of us. Airmen like Intel Officer 1st Lt. Roslyn Schulte who was killed in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan, but not before she dramatically improved intelligence collection capability for senior Afghan military officials. AMC's own Staff Sgt. Christopher Ferrell is also honored. As an Explosive Ordnance Disposal team leader in Afghanistan, Ferrell volunteered to place an explosive charge on a tightly lodged roadside bomb while wearing minimal protective equipment. In so doing, he saved the lives of countless coalition and Afghan soldiers and citizens. With reminders of the heroes like those recognized in CSAF's Portraits in Courage on the walls of the Pentagon, I began to regain my focus. As the borders took shape, suddenly the puzzle was not so puzzling. Finally, in a section of the Pentagon reserved for highest honors, I observed a case recognizing the Commander in Chief's Installation Excellence Award recipients. As a Team Dover alum, and someone who understands the Herculean efforts that enabled that recognition to be bestowed upon our Total Force family in 2008, I beamed with pride at the sight of the display. I might have felt lost occasionally amidst the 'sausage making' of the Pentagon, but I reestablished my center when I recalled the remarkable and diverse accomplishments of the Airmen of Team Dover. My pride grew even more when I learned this outstanding organization was an Air Force runner-up for the same honor in 2010, and swelled further still when I realized I would once again be returning to this phenomenal team. Ultimately, the feeling of being lost in the Pentagon did not represent a crisis of confidence or a fundamental doubt of purpose, but rather merely forced me to remember why I serve and why I am so privileged to don my uniform each day. I dare say we all get lost from time to time; fortunately, in our great Air Force, there are far more ways to be found. My family and I are elated to be back at Team Dover and I look forward to working with each of you and seeing you around the base!