By Olivia Jones T'17
The Pentagon, as they tell every tour group, houses 26,000 employees. It holds civilian and military personnel, an impressive gym in the basement, and a shocking number of fast-food chain restaurants. All that novelty aside, I can think of no other organization with such a critical mission, combined with such size and complexity and worldwide impact, as the Department of Defense (DoD). I spent this summer in the Pentagon getting a closer look at how security policy is formulated while supporting several country teams under the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for the Middle East.
Our DASD reported to the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs, who in turn answered to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, the chief policy advisor to the secretary of defense. In essence, the policy arm of the undersecretary’s office is like DoD’s very own internal Department of State. We provided policy advice, strategic insight, and coordination with partners to support bilateral and multilateral efforts around security assistance, foreign military sales, and shared security interests. We worked daily with foreign counterparts reporting to Ministers of Defense, including foreign military attachés, senior policy makers, and military leaders. Just as frequently, we dealt with domestic partners, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant command aligned with our area of responsibility (Central Command [CENTCOM]), the Department of State, The White House, and the 
Intelligence Community.
I supported the teams for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and Lebanon, each a nation with a different and nuanced relationship with the United States. Without getting into details, my main tasks throughout the summer were to help staff the senior leaders: I drafted read-aheads, short briefers, talking points for high-level engagements, talking points for press interviews, and compiled data to distribute to key partners at the Department of State and the White House.
A glance at the news headlines this summer would indicate that it was a busy office—it was and I had the privilege of working with really amazing people. But I also got to step out of the office on occasion. Our summer agenda included a flight on US Army Blackhawks with panoramic views of DC, a weapons familiarization course at Marine Corps Base Quantico, a visit to the squadron that flies Marine One (HMX-1), and a small group Q&A with the Secretary’s Chief of Staff Eric Rosenbach (and fellow Davison College alumnus).
While rather atypical for an MBA student, this experience was precisely one that I desired entering Tuck as a joint degree student with The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts, where I’m concentrating in International Security Studies. The opportunity to view US security policy up close was completely unique and entirely valuable for my professional goals, and would not have been possible without the support of a program like TuckGIVES. Some of the issues I worked on this summer have significant implications for and crossover with the business community, including cybersecurity, space, and integration of innovation efforts within cumbersome bureaucracies. And ultimately, the sense of purpose inherent in serving the American public and serving national security goals, motivating even as an intern, continues to frame my goals at Tuck and Fletcher.
(Main photo above: A visit to Marine Corps Squadron One in Quantico, VA; Photo at right: Taken on a flight on a U.S. Army Blackhawk that includes a shot of the National Mall out of the window of one of the helos.)