United States Naval Academy
16 July 2012MEMORANDUMFrom: To: Associate Director of Research and Scholarship for Internships & Technology TransferVia: (1) LCDR Jason Chiodi, USN Department of Political Science Internship Coordinator(2) CDR Tom Robertson, USN Division of Humanities and Social Sciences Internship CoordinatorSubj: AFTER-ACTION REPORT FOR INTERNSHIP, SUMMER 2012Ref: (a) COMTMIDN/ACDEANINST 1531.73A A. Summary Information:1. This After- Action Report is provided with accordance with reference (a). Internship details: Location: Pentagon J5 Middle East Division Dates: 25 June- 20 July 2012B. Technical: Title of Project: Joint Chiefs of Staff, J-5, Political Military Affairs Middle East, Arabian Peninsula Division Objective: The goal of this internship was to intern in the J-5 Middle East Division in the Arabian Peninsula desk; to learn about the Middle East, the functions of the Joint Staff, its cooperation with OSD, and learn about our political and military policy making with other nations. Approach: I worked with the Arabian Peninsula Desk team to complete various duties. These duties included assembling binders and helping the team with different office errands. I would also attended numerous meetings in order to further understand the steps in our policy making, our military to military relations with other countries, the workings of the Joint Staff, and interagency cooperation and cooperation with OSD. In addition, I also read leadership development books provided by officers in the Arabian Peninsula Desk. Accomplishments: -Assisting in the assembly of re-ahead binders for the Deputy Director and other senior J5 members concerning various policies in the Middle East. - Aiding in preparations for a Defense Attaché conference day. This included logistical support, escorting foreign defense attaches and utilizing my Arabic language skills to speak with various Middle Eastern officials. - Visited the State Department to network with J5’s Middle East counterparts.-Met with numerous officers from the Aviation, Surface, FAO, and Intelligence communities to discuss career pipelines and opportunities. - Participated in video conferences with CENTCOM, ambassadors, and the J5 in order to discuss various topics concerning the Middle East, and our military to military relations. - Researched and later briefed the head of the Arabian Peninsula team on topics relevant to our current policy making in the Middle EastC. Administrative: Because the Naval Academy could not afford for me to obtain a Top Secret clearance I was unable to participate in numerous meetings and intelligence reports. It was very inconvenient for both me and for the officers in department to assign reading and tasks that did not breach the secret level. During my time at the internship, the J5 Middle East Desk was also unable to connect me to the SIPR and NIPR nets and I was unable to fully understand the daily tasks of an action officer because of this. Essentially this equated to my inability to access any computer. Access to the building was relatively easy after I received my badge, though I did not have swipe access to the office where I worked which resulted in the need to knock and be let in each time I needed to re enter the workspace. In addition, this internship was very costly. It would not have been possible for me to participate in this internship had it not been for the fact that my parents live in northern Virginia. I was able to stay with them, but the commute was about an hour long each way and at the price of $10.50 round trip (not including the initial purchase of a metro card). I usually bought lunch at one of the many Pentagon restaurants and occasionally brought snacks from home. I also paid another $20 for the Pentagon gym membership, at the recommendation of the officers in my office, who encouraged me to workout daily. I was also able to obtain a Pentagon library card, free of charge, which gave me access to the books in the library and the online language tools. D. Evaluation: Relevance: This internship was relevant to my personal development as a future officer. I was able to meet many officers who cared about my development and acted as personal mentors. I learned many things concerning leadership, mentorship, and taking care of your men. It was also relevant to enhancing my naval career because it was my first exposure to the high level of work and policy making that our military participates in. It is imperative that a naval officer understand this aspect of our military. However, in regards to my major this internship was not very relevant. No one in my office spoke Arabic, though I was able to speak Arabic with officers in neighboring offices and with foreign defense attaches. Even though this internship did not require that I speak Arabic, I found that it was helpful and should be encouraged in the future. Impact: This internship was very impactful. It gave me the ability to understand an aspect of our military that I had never been exposed to. It also provided me with additional information about various communities available for service selection that I had not received during my Academy training. I learned a lot about the Middle East and our unique relationships with each of the gulf countries. Level of interest/challenge: I wish that there had been more opportunities to contribute to the work that my office did. Because I did not have a Top Secret clearance, it was very difficult for the officers in my office to find things that I could participate in. In addition, my inability to access a computer and SIPR and NIPR nets did not help. Time was also a limiting factor that made my time at the internship not challenging in the least bit. The time that I was in the office was too short for me to learn enough to constructively participate and contribute. These constraints meant that I spent a lot of my time reading at my desk. With no purpose behind the reading other than for pure self-education and improvement, it was not very challenging. E. Recommendation(s): The necessity of obtaining a TS clearance is imperative to say the least. With a TS clearance many barriers that existed during my time at the J5 would have not existed. I would have been able to listen to intelligence reports and participate in a much larger range of meetings and briefs. Because I only have a secret, it was very difficult to find tasks that I could participate in. While I understand that obtaining this clearance is expensive for the Academy, I believe that it is a worthwhile investment. I do not think it a stretch to say that the midshipmen that apply and are selected to participate in internships at the academy have potential and drive to succeed in their naval careers, and therefore while a TS clearance may seem costly at the time, it is truly an investment in their careers and in their success; and an investment that will bear results. In addition, a longer period of time at the internship may be needed for this internship to reach full potential. It was difficult to incorporate a new member of the team, brief them on all the acronyms and processes before their time was up. The prerequisite that the midshipmen have a background in Arabic is a good one. I believe that it is very beneficial to have someone who has a knowledge and background in the language and culture of the place that the office deals with. My language proved very helpful when foreign attaches came for a meeting, and I believe that showing our allies that our soon to be officers show interest and dedication to understanding their culture and way of life is extremely beneficial to our relations. I recommend that this internship be available in the future and hope that Academy does consider obtaining TS clearance for midshipmen who participate in this internship. ................
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