On Monday, Feb. 20 at 5 p.m., Marina G. Carter spoke in the Blackwell Ballroom about her experiences and the occupational opportunities in the Air Force, the International Guard and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The event was hosted by the criminal justice academic fraternity, Lambda Iota Epsilon. Entitled, "Working in the Federal Service," Carter presented a slide show with pictures of her experiences as a Civil Engineer in the Air Force that continued from her four years of experience in the ROTC program at Iowa State University to 20 years as a career. Carter also elaborated on the history and inner workings of the CIA, including its four directorates: the National Clandestine Service, the Directorate of Intelligence, the Directorate of Science and Technology and the Directorate of Support. Discussing her eight years in the International Guard, Carter said a career therein "offers outstanding opportunities to serve your country, get an education, still have a job, a life" "It will make you appreciate where you live and the freedoms that we have in this country," said Carter. On the Air Force, Carter described it as a "microcosm" with a variety of career opportunities, saying, "Most people think about the Air Force as flying and fighting. The one thing I will let you know [is] the pilots can't do anything without a whole lot of people behind them. If there's not someone there to put fuel in the airplane, and if there's not someone there to build them a runway to fly off of, that pilot's not going anywhere." Discussing her time in the CIA, Carter said, "They [the CIA] have lots of authorities that the rest of the federal government does not have. They're strictly controlled, and they're very strict about who they let in to give those authorities to." If interested in finding a career in the CIA, don't expect it to be easy. "It's a difficult place to get hired into," said Carter, "but once you're there, [it's a ] really cool place to be." Discussing the four directorates of the CIA, Carter elaborated on the responsibilities and mission of each. The National Clandestine Service has work that is mostly overseas and primarily on human source intelligence. Those in the directorate establish and maintain networks and professional relationships with foreign assets in the field. "This is, if you watch ‘Covert Affairs' or any of those shows … this is where they all work," said Carter. "They're very much on the front lines … Their playground is everything outside of the United States. They absolutely cannot operate inside the confines of the United States." The Directorate of Intelligence analyzes all sources of intelligence and produces reports and briefings on key intelligence and national security issues. The responsibilities of those in the directorate include timeliness, accuracy and relevance of intelligence analysis. "This is where we got all the spies, the mocks, the rogues, and they collect all the intelligence," said Carter. She further stated that those in the directorate "bring it to the headquarters where there are a bunch of really smart analysts who know how to look at all sources of information and where there is TV reports, newspaper reports, magazines and just focus on this information and combine that with the information that they bring back from these assets and turn it into actual information that can be available to policy makers." "The agency doesn't make policy. The agency gives policy makers information to make good decisions," said Carter. The Directorate of Science and Technology applies innovative scientific engineering and technical solutions to critical intelligence problems, while accessing, collecting and exploiting information and incorporating over 50 different disciplines, ranging from computer programmers and engineers to scientists and more. "This is where all the gadgets are at," said Carter, later adding, "A lot of amazing engineering happens with these folks." The directorate, as Carter states, deals with "the behind the scenes stuff that helps either collect intelligence either through collecting significant information or helping the mock officers in the field collect the stuff that they need to collect." The Directorate of Support provides support critical to the agency's mission, being, "We are the nation's first line of defense. We accomplish what others cannot accomplish, and we go where others cannot go." Support from the directorate includes security, logistics, communications, facility support and financial and medical services. "The agency is everywhere," said Carter. "The world's your playground." For those interested in becoming a part of any of the directorates and offices of the CIA, Carter said one should keep a clean record (regarding drugs, alcohol and finances), learn a second language, intern with anyone, maintain a concise, correct resume, follow up after applying, be willing to relocate and travel and be very flexible with one's schedule. Discussing what Carter has learned from her experiences, she said that having a degree opens many doors of opportunities, that attitude is more important than knowledge, that no job is beneath one, that one should never turn down an opportunity to volunteer, that one can learn something in every job if one's mind is open, that one should be respectful to everyone, that one should incorporate fitness and nutrition into one's life, and that one should always maintain balance between work, family and personal growth. Above everything, Carter said, "Find something that you're passionate about." Discussing the kinds of people who work at the CIA, Carter said, "They could be just about anybody. They could be your next door neighbor … Regardless of what it is you're trying to pursue, there's probably an opportunity inside of the agency for you. "
