Subj:    INTERNSHIP AFTER ACTION REPORT:  NORTH ATLANTIC TREATY ORGANIZATION

This summer I had the pleasure of interning at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. After working at NATO for nearly a month, I can honestly say that this has been a phenomenal, once in a lifetime experience. As an intern I was given a degree of responsibility and tasked with assignments that were important to the organization, not just busywork. Nevertheless, I was also afforded enough time to go out and witness the inner workings of NATO firsthand. I attended numerous Military Committee Working Groups (MCWG), two Military Committees (MC), and one North Atlantic Council (NAC).

I worked specifically at the United States Military Delegation to NATO, across the hall from the United States Mission to NATO. The Military Delegation is a top heavy organization with a handful of some of the finest military officers that I have ever had the chance to meet. When I wasn’t attending committee meetings or working on projects, I was taking every opportunity I could get to talk with and learn from these patriots. Hearing their career histories and taking leadership lessons from these officers was one of the most beneficial portions of this internship.

Another part of this internship that I enjoyed was how it gave me the opportunity to work with many other multinational organizations. I worked closely with the United States Mission to the European Union (USEU), and through working with this organization I was able to travel to the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), located in Mons, Belgium. Seeing firsthand the ways that NATO, USEU, and SHAPE coordinated helped me to better understand the interplay and interdependence of these organizations. Experiencing the various committees at NATO showed me diplomacy in action, and helped me see how NATO worked operationally.

In my opinion, this is the premier internship at the United States Naval Academy, and is the most valuable and insightful experience that any summer training assignment has to offer. I now have a much deeper understanding of public and military diplomacy, the organization of one of the most powerful alliances in the world, and the way that the United States is able to maintain and promote peace in Europe.