Arlington Navy Annex
Federal Building #2
The Navy Annex, on Columbia Pike about a mile from the Pentagon, has room for 6,000 employees in 1 million square feet of office space. The Federal Office Building No. 2 (FOB 2), also known as the Navy Annex is located on the corner of South Gate Road and Columbia Pike in Arlington, Virginia. Highway signs still refer to FOB2 as the Navy Annex. FOB 2 is adjacent to the Henderson Hall Marine Corps Base and the Arlington Cemetery and within walking distance of the Pentagon. Visitor parking is available in Lot 5 only. Handicapped visitor parking is available on Cemetery Road. See the FOB 2 site map for exact locations. To enter the FOB 2 compound, visitors are required to show valid ID and leave their name at one of the security gates on the FOB 2 site.

Originally built as a warehouse in 1941, he main structure was never intended as a permanent building. The huge building overlooking the Pentagon has housed Marine Corps headquarters and many Navy offices. As of early 2001 only 100 Navy personnel work there, and most of the space is used by the Marine Corps. A Navy post exchange gas station also is located on the property. The Navy Annex is used as "swing space" by workers temporarily displaced by renovations at the Pentagon. Federal officials have long eyed that land for additional cultural or memorial sites once a massive renovation at the Pentagon is completed in 2010.

The commandant of the Marine Corps and his immediate staff moved from the Navy Annex into offices next to the Secretary of the Navy 11 December 1995. The Marine Corps commandant was the only service chief not in the Pentagon. The commandant's move kicked off a larger exodus from the Navy Annex. There had been many suggestions in the past to move the commandant's office into the Pentagon. Other portions of the headquarters moved in the summer of 1995. Marine Corps Personnel and Reserve Affairs moved from the Navy Annex to Quantico Marine Base in 2000.

On 06 February 2001 the International Science & Technology Contracts Directorate (BMDO/CTI) relocated from the 12th Floor of Crystal Square Building 2 to Federal Office Building #2 (Navy Annex) on Columbia Pike in Arlington, VA.

The FY2000 Defense Authorizations Act included provisions that eventually would transfer the 37-acre Navy Annex and another eight acres from Fort Myer to Arlington National Cemetery. Under the terms of the law, the Navy Annex would be torn down within about 15 years. up to 10 acres of the Navy Annex land may be reserved for a proposed National Military Museum or other appropriate memorial.

Provisions of the FY2002 Defense Authorizations Act (HR 2586) that undermine past commitments of the Congress in provisions in the Defense Authorization Bills of 1999 and 2000 requiring a collaborative master planning effort for the future of the Navy Annex site; Arlington National Cemetery would expand onto the entire Navy Annex site except for the three acres proposed to be set aside for the Air Force Memorial. the FY2002 Defense Authorizations Act (HR 2586) prohibits the development of any museums or memorials on the Navy Annex site except for the Air Force Memorial and, thereby forecloses on an opportunity to have the National Military Museum at the Navy Annex site or a museum/memorial to Freedman?s Village.

Under a 1998 proposal one new "national military museum" would replace existing separate service museums like the national Air Force museum near Dayton, Ohio. This all-service museum could be built on the Navy Annex.

The Navy Annex site is immediately adjacent to the land that was the site of Freedman?s Village established at the time of the Civil War. The approximately 3.5 acres of land between the Navy Annex Site and Arlington National Cemetery. This land was viewed by Arlington County and the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington as potential acreage for provision of a future Black Heritage Museum commemorating the former Freedman?s Village. The former Freedman?s Village was established during the Civil War under the direction of General Howard, Director of the Freedman?s Bureau to provide housing, education, and employment for freed blacks.