Junior Military - That was one of the few pieces of wisdom I was given before reporting to the Pentagon in 2014. The message was clear: As a new service member, you need to be seen, not heard.
Unfortunately, the military does not do a good job of preparing its men for "room duty" or staff work. This is especially true in the Pentagon, where there is a strong "get out as soon as possible" mentality. Personnel duty is a tremendous intervention, required between tactical shifts. And for new personnel who come to the Pentagon by choice, the stigma has gotten worse.
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Military operations may be the lifeblood of the service, but new officers and enlisted personnel can make an impact while working in the Pentagon. By leveraging networks and practices that have worked for young Americans in other industries, young personnel are uniquely positioned to make the most of their Pentagon tours and position the Department of Defense for future reforms.
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New Pentagon officials are filling a variety of roles. During my two-year tour there, I was an aide-de-camp (aide-de-camp, in ground service parlance; "loop," in vernacular), protocol officer, and speech writer. You may also find yourself an operations or claims officer, or any other type of staff position. Registered personnel fill a wider variety of roles depending on the office.
In any of these jobs, you need to be a master of details. This means setting strict deadlines for senior executives, knowing and controlling who gets to see your manager and answer the phone, among many other tasks. You are the person to carry the bags, make sure everyone is in the same uniform, and remember the number of "penns and booms" offered for each rank.
Generally, this means being the first in the office in the morning and usually the last out at night. No, it's not as exciting as executing basic air-to-air combat maneuvers or an aerial dive mission. But it is still a vital role in our ministry.
Many promising young soldiers see the Pentagon as a duty station. Some see an unorthodox task from "war". Others find an office job boring.
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As a result, service members who go to the five-sided building are often overlooked by their peers. For solid military personnel commands, these tours have the reputation of being a place where young military personnel can "die on the vine." But if you're the right person, it doesn't have to be.
Some people are content to do the minimum amount of work required and go home as soon as possible. These people don't have to ask for orders at the Pentagon.
Then there are those who are willing to check the boxes prescribed by their service personnel manager in order to cleverly climb the career ladder. These people shouldn't be taking orders from the Pentagon if they can help it.
But for those who believe that having a positive impact on the service — making it better than they saw it — is more important than those other things, a tour of the Pentagon can be informative and fulfilling. Those people who write, work, harass, and labor over time to understand, improve, and lead their service should ask for orders at the Pentagon.
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Taking orders at the Pentagon is the easy part. Coming to work for the first time in a country that employs more than 25,000 people can be daunting. But there are ways to avoid losing.
First, prepare for the hours and check your ego outside the parking lot. Regardless of your background, you will come to the building with little to no experience compared to the thousands of senior officers, enlisted and civilians who work there. You may have been the top performer of your executive order, but this is a new beginning. Nobody is owed anything here, and worse, if they smell opportunism, you will find yourself on the fast track to irrelevance.
Regardless of your role, the Department of Defense and every single service department is a big machine. Everyone has a boss, everyone has a different way of doing things, and - whether you like it or not - this often means a very long day at work. Politics is everywhere, the building has its own language and the bureaucracy is as crazy as it reads.
Second, and most importantly, forget that you are a new service member. You will not be able to customize the purchase system yourself. You may not be able to influence defense policy or programming. And you may not be able to avoid working 14 hour days or even have a spare moment to think for yourself. But you can ask questions and learn. You can get your hands dirty and go out into the arena.
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For all their years of service, the leadership of the Pentagon does not know where the idea comes from that saves our procurement systems and personnel, or how to control the seas and the air in an age of platforms and payloads -crew, autonomous, than when the next big one will be. a leap will be made in computing and cryptography. Your commitment, influence, and ideas may seem insignificant. But there is a fine line in history between irrelevant and transformative ideas. Respectful and constructive engagement by young service members can be a critical military advantage for our nation.
As a young soldier in the Pentagon, there are many ways to make an impact. I offer three lessons for a successful tournament.
First, stay connected. The most important route to success is connecting with others in the area. Washington DC has a vibrant young military community, with everything from social events to professional development opportunities at think tanks, on Capitol Hill or in the building itself. Find and meet those senior and dedicated like-minded people who have hammered iron on the executive side of the military and civilian government of the hammer. Don't let the demands of your office desk keep you under siege.
Second, read, learn and write. Task: The Pentagon is a good place to start. If you find yourself in a procurement role, the Defense Acquisition University can help. If you are in a support or staff role, you need to consider the rules and regulations of your service for that position.
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But don't let your reading be just about work. Secretary Mattis once wrote that reading it "illuminates what is often a dark road ahead." As a staff officer, reviewing Meditations by Marcus Aurelius helped me get through difficult times. Finding time for your personal reading isn't just therapeutic. It can help give you perspective on issues you may be facing.
Similarly, writing can help you understand and engage with the world around you. Along with a vibrant, young military community, there's a good group of brainstormers, proofreaders and fellow writers who can bring new ideas and help you overcome your reluctance to stick your neck out.
Good writing opens doors. Your rank may make you feel insignificant, but if your perspective is expressed constructively, you may find an open audience and make some allies. The only way to make our military better is by sharing the hard work required to ensure we have the best policies, processes and procedures to fight and win.
Finally, get involved. You might be tempted to crash on the couch in front of Netflix reruns after hours, and while there are times for that, a successful journey means making time to actively contribute to the causes that matter to you. Some choose to pursue paths outside the military entirely, such as volunteer work, athletics, or graduate school.
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But if improving our services is your passion, there are many ways to get involved. The Defense Entrepreneurs Forum connects innovative individuals within and outside the services. Bunker Labs and 1776 help connect local veterans with wicked creators and problems across the country. The Atlantic Council and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy are great places to stay involved in international relations and foreign policy.
Don't limit yourself to what already exists. After a few months on the job, I started a monthly happy hour to discuss innovation, defense policy, and connect problem solvers. It may not have been life-changing, but it was a good way to keep in touch, learn how to participate in the wider national security and defense community, and enjoy a support group that helped make the trip a smooth one.
For senior officials and government leaders reading, use your little talent in the Pentagon. They can do much more than fetch coffee, carry bags and make copies. Some of the most interesting, progressive work in the building over the past few years has come from small groups of young officers, enlisted and civilians.
After all, the Pentagon is not the dark dungeon of its critics. New officers and enlisted personnel can have successful and rewarding journeys there if they stay humble, stick together and stick their necks out. The future of the Department of
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