Secretary's Office

Description

The Secretary's Office functions as a Pentagon sub-office that manages initial incoming calls. Operators answer lines directed to the Pentagon and route callers to specific military personnel, such as Colonel Wolf. This group handles constituent pleas, like an enlisted woman's appeal over food stamps, by connecting Charlie to the right officer and expediting letter routing. It serves as the entry point for external communications into Department of Defense channels.

Event Involvements

Events with structured involvement data

1 events

S4E12 · Guns Not Butter

Charlie Elevates a Servicewoman’s Plea to the Pentagon

The Secretary's Office at the Pentagon functions as the call-routing station that receives Charlie's call, places him on hold, and forwards the query up the chain until Colonel Wolf answers. It is the immediate procedural interface between the White House and military leadership.

Active Representation

Through the voice on the line that identifies 'Secretary's office' and the operator behavior of placing callers on hold pending officer availability.

Power Dynamics

Acts as a gatekeeper with limited discretion to prioritize calls but ultimately defers to senior officers who determine substantive responses.

Institutional Impact

Functions as the procedural buffer that shapes which external requests become actionable military concerns; its handling affects speed and visibility of responses.

Internal Dynamics

Operatives enforce communication protocols; tensions may exist between prompt responsiveness to White House requests and protecting command chains from constant external pressure.

Organizational Goals

Efficiently route incoming calls to the appropriate military officers. Protect senior officers' time by filtering and prioritizing inquiries. Preserve orderly communications between external entities and command staff.

Influence Mechanisms

Gatekeeping via operator control of lines and holds. Prioritization protocols that determine which incoming matters reach senior leadership. Institutional habit of escalating matters based on caller identity and urgency.

Related Events

Events mentioning this organization

1 events

S4E14

Ordering the Forced-Depletion Estimate for Khundu

In the Oval Office Bartlet gets a terse national-security briefing from Bob Slattery: U.S. intelligence outside Bitanga is almost non-existent, the Archbishop's clerical network is …