Acting Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper will host an Armed Forces Arrival Salute in honor of Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin-Hamad Al-Thani at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Monday, July 8, at the Pentagon River Parade Field.
All journalists desiring to cover the arrival salute must obtain a wristband from security screening. Journalists without a Pentagon facility access card must go through security screening at the base of the River Entrance Pedestrian Bridge, and will be escorted to the arrival salute from there. Security screening will begin at approximately 2:45 p.m. EDT; have proof of affiliation and two forms of photo identification. Journalists with a Pentagon facility access card, and whom have entered the building prior to 2:45 p.m. EDT, may go through security screening at the River Entrance to obtain their wristband; please obtain your wristband at the River Entrance by 3:05 p.m. EDT. All journalists wishing to cover the arrival ceremony, including those with a Pentagon facility access card, must be in place no later than 3:15 p.m. EDT. Once security screening has been initiated at the base of the bridge, all journalists entering the building via the bridge for any reason, including those with a Pentagon facility access card not covering the arrival ceremony, must undergo security screening. Please call 703-697-5131 with any questions.