By Midn. 1/C Ryan K. Gilbert
A group of 45 Naval Academy Midshipmen studying aspects of the U.S. intelligence community and its relation to national security traveled to Washington, D.C., Dec. 8 to get a rare first-hand glimpse at the inner workings of a few of the agencies they discussed in the classroom.
The trip was led by Lt. Cmdr. Rory Berke, instructor of the Intelligence and National Security course in the Academy’s Political Science Department, and included stops at the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in Suitland, Md., and the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
At ONI the Midshipmen were given an operational-style intelligence briefing by intelligence officers and civilian staff before dividing into groups to tour two of the units headquartered at the facility. Each group visited the watch room, which disseminates and analyzes geo-spatial imagery to support deployed naval forces, and the field research workshop, which collects material from foreign militaries and scrutinizes it. The tour was a unique educational experience and opportunity for the Midshipmen as most of the information they were exposed to required a classified security clearance.
In the afternoon, the Midshipmen met FBI Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge George Piro at the FBI’s Washington Field Office for a question-and-answer session on his experiences in the domestic intelligence community and insights for aspiring future intelligence officers.
Prior to becoming the current head of the International Terrorism Branch of the field office, Piro held a very high profile job as team leader and interrogator for the FBI team responsible for the interrogation of former president of Iraq Saddam Hussein, after his capture by American forces in 2003. This post, as well as insight into the recent massacre at Fort Hood, Texas, allegedly carried out by Army Maj. Nidal Hasan, dominated the informal discussion.
Piro also encouraged the Midshipmen to pursue a career in the intelligence community if it interested them, citing the prominence of former military officers in the FBI and other intelligence organizations.
Both the tour of ONI and the discussion with Special Agent Piro aided in bringing the theoretical studies from Lt. Cmdr Berke’s class to life for the Midshipmen.
‘‘There’s definitely a mysterious element that surrounds the U.S. intelligence agencies,” said Midn. 1⁄C Andrew Scherer. ‘‘This trip really showed us that these are real jobs and duties performed by highly dedicated professionals and jobs some of us might like to get into someday.”
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