Week 10: Squad, Halt!
Hi everyone! Welcome back to the last blog of my senior project. It’s been a very enlightening and rewarding experience, and I truly appreciate you all following along!
This week, I did not explore a new role of OSINT in Ukrainian defense, but rather spent most of the week compiling all my data and concluding my research. I started the week by finishing a rough draft of my final presentation. It wasn’t easy condensing over 9 different topics into 15 minutes, but I believe I will be able to pull it off. I ended the week by working on my final product for my faculty advisor. I am writing a research paper about my findings and experiences at the AFIO chapter meetings.
On Friday, I had my final meeting with Mr. Franklin. We discussed whether there is any possibility of peace between Russia and Ukraine in the near future. Unfortunately, because it has turned into a war of attrition, short-term ceasefires will likely be ineffective. There will most likely need to be a regime change in Russia for the conflict to end. Then, I asked him if he had to give a few major pieces of advice to someone pursuing a career in intelligence, what would he tell them. He gave two main points. First, humans are fallible. Humans make mistakes, have biases, alternative motives, and this is no different with intelligence officers. Second, sometimes good work isn’t rewarded. Even if someone found the perfect solution, they may be punished or passed over for a promotion. He acknowledged that these aren’t the most motivating pieces of advice, but I believe these are valuable things to keep in mind in any profession to be able to persevere through any challenge. Lastly, he informed me that I could continue to attend AFIO chapter meetings and continue to work on research for the organization over the summer, so I am very excited to continue working with them!
When working on the reflection section of my final presentation, I identified a common concern from my project and some of my peers’ projects. Often, we become so focused on the numbers, the data, the analysis, and the results that we forget the real individuals who are affected in our fields of study. From politics to medicine, we, in our quest for the perfect solution, can become detached from the people impacted by the data. For my field of research in international affairs, individuals often become desensitized to war and conflict. And even outside the research field, individuals, especially in the States, become emotionally detached from conflict by constantly consuming news media while assuming “this doesn’t affect me.” However, when reviewing my project, I must highlight that these results are the daily lives of thousands of people. Ukrainian, Russian, and North Korean soldiers alike have little to no control over their situation and are forced to fight in a political game of global hegemony where there are no winners. The analysis of OSINT may be for the purpose of Ukrainian defense, but it does not mean that all the individuals fighting do not deserve basic human rights. My research cannot end the conflict, but I hope it makes us think about the narratives we consume and believe in regarding international security and politics. I encourage the readers and my peers to consider the implications of our projects beyond these 10 weeks. Specifically, my peers working with the military and aerospace industries, I urge you to think about the effects of your research and the scholarship you disseminate to the world.
As I wrap up this final blog post, I would like to give a huge shout-out to my amazing advisors. Thank you to my faculty advisor, Mrs. Kinne, for working behind the scenes to make these blog posts possible through editing, answering my countless questions about APA citations, and providing me with several suggestions and references to better my research. Thank you to my on-site mentor, Mr. Franklin, for allowing me to learn from the best. Mr. Franklin has provided me with invaluable advice from the field, so thank you for letting me pick your brain for hours every week. Lastly, thank you to the other chapter members from the AFIO – San Antonio Chapter. The members welcomed me with open arms to answer any questions about their careers and gain career experience by giving a briefing to the chapter. I could not have accomplished this project without my mentors, and I am incredibly grateful to all of you.
That finishes up week 10 and my senior project. I hope to see you all on Saturday, May 24, for final presentations!
Over and out.