Reflection on Internship

Looking back at my internship at the Department of Commerce, I'm glad I took the opportunity to go to DC. I learned a great deal of what security means at the federal level. Security is not just people guarding doors, but it involves investigations, information protection, emergency management, information technology, personnel protection, anti-terrorism, and physical security. I was fortunate to be the intern chosen to be in the office that oversaw all the aspects of security (the Strategic and Administrative Management Division). I enjoyed seeing how policy affected all these different divisions of security, and how each reacted to them. Being around the directors for the Office of Security helped me to learn and gain insights on budget details within a government organization that I would not have otherwise learned in a textbook. I'm very grateful for the internship program that provided this opportunity and will never forget this experience. 

Last meeting of my internship

One of the last meetings I went to for the Office of Security (OSY) covered all the accomplishments of each division and looked into the future of the office. After a few comments from the director, each assistant director spoke on the accomplishments of their particular division. Some of the highlights covered by the Anti-Terrorism Division was that despite more travel by the Secretary of Commerce and maintaining the same manpower, there were not incidents regarding the Secretary. One interesting thing I found out recently is that the Secretary of Commerce requires a round the clock security team. This was not the case in previous administrations but Obama has recently called for all appointed secretaries to have round the clock security, even when on personal time. Another thing that was covered in the meeting was the issue of the pay freeze. There were some in attendance that asked what the hiring freeze meant and how far this will reach in the coming year. The director answered that they don't know much right now, but they will as soon as Congress passes the appropriations bill for this fiscal year. 

New faces and places

In the house where I stayed had another tenant renting a room next to mine. His name was Fabian, and he worked for a health bureau within the Department of Interior. His job was to ensure that buildings were in compliance with the amount of lead in their buildings. Although, we didn't have to much in common when it came to fields of work, we did have a common enjoyment of hot wings and football. We would visit a local bar across the main street of our neighborhood that had plenty of both. It was always interesting to visit on Sundays because I had never seen more loyal and ruckus football fans as Redskins fans. They love their team, and there was some sort infectious energy in that place when the "Skins" were playing. Although I will always be a Cardinals fan for life, I found myself rooting for the gritty and struggling Redskins. It was fun to see the reactions and the cheers that I wouldn't normally see in Arizona.

Things are a little different

One of the difficult things about being in DC was being away from family and friends. Of course, thanks to technology we could now Skype and it made it a little more manageable in terms of "seeing" each other. However, I would have to say it was a little tough for me because of the time difference. I was always 3 hours ahead of my girlfriend in California and I had to sometimes endure tough workdays with little sleep the night before. I wouldn't normally consider myself a big coffee drinker but I became one while in DC, and would frequent the local Starbucks regularly.  Another big thing that I had to maneuver around was the fact that DC or Maryland did not have a Chase bank!  I could not make deposits or get cash without paying a fee to use an ATM. Since I knew I would only be there for a few months, I decided to just use the cash back option from local stores when I needed cash. 

Commerce Building Lockdown

Today the Office of Security ran a "lockdown" drill in the Commerce building. There was an announcement that came through all of the telephone speakers instructing employees to assume lockdown procedures. The announcement commanded all employees to clear the hallways, get into an office and lock their doors. Aside from keeping their offices locked, the lockdown procedure also requires employees to shut off all the lights including the computer monitors, and to keep away from the windows and doors. At this point the guards are supposed to be looking for the culprit. The drill is meant to simulate a similar situation of a Virginia Tech or Columbine shooter(s). Although the drill only lasted 10 minutes, I thought it was a good exercise because there were a few people strolling around the hallways not knowing what to do or where to go. I believe in a real life situation, those in the hallways would have been the first to be killed or targeted by a shooter. I hope those took an important lesson out of exercise.   

Freeze on Salary Increases

Recently President Obama announced a two-year pay freeze for all civilian federal employees. Secretary Locke recently sent an email out to all Commerce explaining a few details of this salary increase freeze.  In his letter (email) he mentioned that the President has undergone a plan to get “America’s fiscal house in order”. Secretary Locke mentioned that this two-year pay freeze will save $28 billion over the next five years, and more that 60 billion over the next 10. He finished off my saying that there have been times in our history that have called for shared sacrifice and that this is one of those times.

I found the letter to be a little discouraging because I’m sure this will make it that much harder to find a federal job since they’ll be tight with their budgets. Although, I have do not have problem with entering into a private sector job, I would ideally want to start a federal career when I graduate.

DEA Meeting

Today the internship program set us up to visit the Drug Enforcement Administration in Arlington, Virginia. Their headquarters building has a museum highlighting the rise of drugs in the US, beginning with the distribution of opium early on in our history. It was interesting to see how lucrative drugs became early on. I was just amazed how in China in the 1800's had large opium factories, there was a sketch picture that showed multiple floors filled with 5 pound packaged containers of the drug waiting to be shipped. After we were given the tour we also had the opportunity to talk with a DEA agent. The agent told us how he began his career in the military and joined the DEA afterwards. He told us he has been an agent for over 20 years and loves his job. At first he was a field agent in various countries including Colombia where he had the opportunity to take down some of Pablo Escobar's successors after he was killed. He now heads the program for all the 1,000+  informants the DEA has. He finished up telling us of some of the sticky situations he had been in as an undercover DEA agent, which were all interesting stories.  

Signing Ceremony on 1.7 Billion Deal

Yesterday, I was on hand to witness the signing of a 1.7 billion dollar deal between the Boeing company and Copa Airlines of Panama. The signing was in the main hall of the Commerce building and there were a few “big wigs” in attendance which included the President and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the vice president of Panama, Secretary Locke, and a few congressmen. The deal obligated 22 Boeing 737’s to be delivered between 2015 and 2018 to Panama’s Copa Airlines for 1.7 billion. Secretary Locke mentioned how this deal was great for American workers who manufacture Boeing aircrafts in the U.S.  He also mentioned how this falls in line with President Obama’s plan to double American exports by 2015. This export initiative was mentioned by Obama in his State of the Union address and has since formed an Export Council which the President of Boeing chairs. It looks like this is one of the outcomes of the council’s ambitious goal to double the amount of exports in the U.S.

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