JANET LANGHART COHEN First Lady Of the Pentagon

HE is Secretary of Defense. She is "First Lady of the Pentagon." Together, they present a profusion of paradoxes. He is White, she is African-American. He is a Republican, she is a staunch Democrat. He's a life-long public servant, she's a former model and television personality. He grew up in a well-known Bangor, Maine, family. She was reared in an Indianapolis housing project. Yet, Janet Langhart Cohen and her husband, Defense Secretary William S. Cohen, appear to be well-matched in heart, spirit and purpose, a couple truly meant to be together.

Yet, neither she nor he gave much thought to the role Langhart Cohen would play in his work when in late 1996 President Clinton appointed the former U.S. senator to his cabinet. At the time, she was presiding over a thriving communications firm. Langhart Cohen readily admits, however, that the most important role she has had is that of first lady of the Pentagon. It is a role she cherishes and in which she thrives.

She has traveled with her husband to Bosnia and Herzegovina, to China and Korea, to South Africa and Morocco, to Spain and Bulgaria. With charm, poise and personality, she has used these opportunities to interact with the troops and boost their morale, while also charming various heads of state. One writer called her style "part Eleanor Roosevelt, part Oprah Winfrey."

"Janet is perhaps the most actively engaged first lady of the Pentagon, ever," Secretary Cohen says of his wife, who, as on many days, has accompanied him to his Pentagon office. As usual they arrive in a black chauffeured limousine and are accompanied by security personnel. "She has committed herself with a passion I think is unrivaled by anyone. And she feels deeply about the men and women we are serving. She is very patriotic. They respond very warmly. They embrace her, they love her."

In another interview, he said: "She touches people. She can infuse them with a sense of real spirit. As to the difference she is making out in the field, every single leader that I meet, the first question is, `Why didn't you bring your wife?'"

The first lady's popularity and ease among world leaders and in the vast, hallowed Pentagon halls is evident in the warm greetings she receives as she travels within the huge facility, which has 17.5 miles of corridors and 23,000 employees, without her husband at her side. Military officers, young recruits and civilians all greet her warmly.

They don't want very much," she says of military personnel. "They just want to know that people care, that they are interested in their lives and making sure that they have what they need to survive."

In the four years she has been at the Pentagon, she has assumed the role of morale booster for the troops and an advocate for their concerns. Among her initiatives:

* The Military Family Forum, which she helped to create and hosts, at which enlisted personnel and their spouses meet in D.C. to discuss issues pertinent to their quality of life, such as wages, housing, schools, health care, education and job opportunities.

* Special Assignment, a weekly television program she hosts for the armed services broadcast network, for which she interviews top military and civilian leaders. She interviewed President Clinton aboard Air Force One for her first show in 1998.

* The Pentagon Pops musical salute to the military, which she co-created with Secretary Cohen. Tom Brokaw has hosted, Peabo Bryson has participated, and Medal of Honor recipients are honored. The show is broadcast to U.S. troops around the world. "The purpose is to say thanks to our military," says Langhart Cohen.

* The Secretary of Defense Annual Holiday Tour, which she co-produces and co-hosts with her husband. Among participants are Hollywood and entertainment celebrities, sports figures and supermodels. Secretary Cohen says the Holiday Tour "brings the spirit of America to our troops who are doing hard duty overseas."

Langhart Cohen also has been designated the "First Lady of the USO," and is charged with involving civilians with the military. Over the years, the USO, a private organization, has been championed by entertainer Bob Hope.

Down an expansive hallway and around the corner from the secretary's suite of offices is the first lady's office. It is decorated with Pentagon Pops' posters, and photographs and mementos from her travels. Assigned to work with her are two secretary of defense assistants, both young Black women: Terri L. Williams, a civilian with 15 years of military experience, and Letricia A. Mason, a sergeant in the Army. Langhart Cohen credits the assistants with "briefing" her on military protocol and issues. Secretary Cohen tells how his wife often talks on the telephone for hours to Williams and others concerning military issues after dinner at their penthouse apartment, which has a panoramic view of Pennsylvania Avenue and Washington, D.C.

"Janet is one of the most dynamic, engaged individuals I've ever known," he says in another interview. "She brings to my position and to my work an enthusiasm and an intellect that are unsurpassed ..."