Reflections of an Army Intern

THE PENTAGON, DC, UNITED STATES

09.03.2015

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Career Program 26

By Kia Gunter

**Editors Note** Kia Gunter is a 2013 graduate of the U.S. Army CP26 Manpower and Force Management Intern Program. Kia is a U.S. Air Force veteran and a graduate of Post University MBA Program. Kia is stationed at Headquarters Surface Deployment & Distribution Command at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois as a G8 manpower analyst.

Being an Army intern was a challenging, rewarding, rigorous and positive experience. The two-year program gave me a broad perspective, allowed me the opportunity to travel and meet diverse groups of people I would not have met otherwise. People generally depict interns as early 20s, running for coffee, making copies and other mundane tasks. I was the atypical intern. I entered the intern program when I was aged 30, married and mother to two bustling boys. I am a veteran of the U.S. Air Force having earned two undergraduate degrees, and an MBA by the age of 28.

Upon beginning my journey with the Headquarters (HQ) Surface Deployment & Distribution Command (SDDC), I sought out professional organizations and mentors to help cultivate my new career path. I was able to work on manpower studies, sit in on higher level meetings, brainstorm on projects and participate in special events. Your internship is all about what you choose to do with the opportunity. I chose to take classes and a rotational assignment to HQ SDDC G3, Command Operations Center to learn and understand SDDC’s mission and operations conducted around the world.

Honestly, I was not looking forward to my rotational assignment. I believed I had stretched myself too thin. I would have new cube mates, a new supervisor and a different set of duties. Upon meeting my new supervisor, I was tasked to brief the entire directorate G3 on the U.S. Northern Command team operations and actions within the respective area of responsibility (AOR). I became a sponge. I am sure my co-workers and new supervisor grew tired of my questions, but were very polite and kind to me. I could tell they were thinking, “Oh here we go…another wet behind the ears intern that will take me away from my work asking silly questions.” Thankfully, with the teams’ continued support and my consistent reading and learning, I provided a briefing that was concise, informational and impressed G3 leadership. I refused to read directly from slides. I was able to address questions posed from the audience and deliver much needed information to the other AORs. I wanted the entire room to know I had prepared for the briefing. Despite my short time there, I was ready and eager to learn and do much more. The attendee feedback was great and helpful. That was a pretty fantastic day!

After I finished briefing, an Army Major reached out to me to assist with some issues he was having with estimating and planning an exercise at U.S. Pacific Command. I was able to provide my Lean Six Sigma (LSS) expertise and help him estimate personnel and supply costs. Eventually, he turned this into a successful LSS project, which I participated in as the Resource Manager.

In addition to fulfilling the requirements and opportunities available to me through the CP26 Master Intern Training Plan, I opted to take a number of CP11 (Comptroller) courses and higher-level leadership development courses available to me as well. I traveled extensively for two years. I was given the opportunity to attend the Defense Resource Management Course in Monterey, California. This was by far the most diverse group of students I had yet encountered. I was able to meet other students from many foreign militaries. It was a unique experience, to be partnered with a newly selected South African Army General, German Lieutenant Colonel or a Saudi Colonel. There were only about ten Americans in the course. It was stimulating to learn the courtesies and customs of foreign governments and to learn their perspective of America.

Over the course of this journey, I wrote down advice for interns to live by:

Believe in yourself. The Department of the Army Intern Program is highly competitive. Your supervisor hired you for good reason. You were the cream of the crop and rose to the occasion. Celebrate it and be thankful! The time flies by.

Be available. You never know when your help may be needed. Be available for meetings and open to changes in your schedule. Things happen and opportunities can present themselves at any time.
Dress professionally. You are the controller and owner of your image. You only get one chance to make a first impression. Make it a great one!

Keep your inner circle small. Be cognizant of the company you keep and the folks you associate with, as there’s nothing worse than making a bad impression with leadership. It is very difficult to change others’ perception of you and your circle. Choose your company wisely.

Every challenge is a learning opportunity. No matter how difficult the situation or personality, learn from it. These types of life lessons are priceless. Your true character displays itself in a tense situation. Let it be a defining, shining moment for you. A wise woman once told me to never allow anyone to get you out of character. Always take the high road.

Make business cards. Make this a priority. Anytime you travel or attend a meeting or briefing, bring business cards with you. You appear prepared, professional and diligent about your profession.

Always wear a smile. The day can always be much, much worse!

• Date Taken: 09.03.2015
• Date Posted: 09.04.2015 10:45
• Story ID: 175280
• Location: THE PENTAGON, DC, US
• Hometown: SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, IL, US