The Pentagon hadn't held a press briefing in nearly a year.
That all changed when rock royalty was in the house.
"The Demon" Gene Simmons, frontman for KISS, stopped by the Pentagon and stood at the podium that's been empty for most of the last year, delivering a briefing on the importance of strengthening the civilian-military relationship, according to Kim Joiner, deputy assistant to the secretary of defense for strategic engagements.
Simmons' wife, Shannon, tweeted that the couple "had a lovely and informative tour of the Pentagon and White House" and "We had a chance to tell some of the USA military how much we appreciate them."
In a video of the briefing, Simmons fought back tears, talking about how much his late mother, a Holocaust survivor, loved America.
"If Americans could see and hear my mother talk about America, they would understand," he said. "Every time my mother saw the flag, she'd start crying. As an eight-year-old boy, I didn't understand why. But from my mother's point of view, we were finally safe.
"I may have been born in the country that people throughout history have referred to as the promised land. But take my word for it -- America is the promised land for everybody."
The Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 1
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 2
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 3
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 4
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 5
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 6
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 7
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 8
DoD photo by Lisa FerdinandoThe Pentagon hadn't had a press briefing in nearly a year. Then Gene Simmons arrived. 9
DoD photo by Lisa Ferdinando




