Expectations of the military intern program

Navy Supply Corps Newsletter, July-August, 2004 by Melinda Johnson

When I first began thinking about my next duty station, an internship was the last thing on my mind. I had all intentions of getting my overseas tour out of the way early. My supply officer was a fuels intern but I had never given it much thought until he forwarded me a Flash from the Chief about internships.

When I read through the article, I came across "Information Technology." I had heard of the others, but this one intrigued me.

During my tenure at sea, I had experienced the conversions to Navy Cash and Smart Ship. The command was highly computer based, with all documents being located and accessed on the ship's intranet. It was an indication of the Navy moving into the next generation of technology. I decided that I wanted to be a part of that growth. It appeared to be a great stepping-stone for my career training.

When I complete the internship, I will receive a subspecialty code and a master's certification in project management from George Washington University. I will even have the opportunity to become a Project Management Professional.

In addition to the IT courses, we attend a series of project management courses while working as project officers on actual projects. The knowledge received from on-the-job training is even more valuable than the coursework. We work with the project managers, technical personnel, customers, and contractors. A great deal is gained by learning the interaction of each of these elements.

I expect that the experience and knowledge gained here will be invaluable to my future in the Supply Corps.

LT (Sel) Melinda Johnson is in the early stages of the IT Intern Program. She served on board USS Antietam (CG 54) prior to her assignment to NAVSISA.