Internship at the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command: Strengthening Security and Resilience in the Indo-Pacific
By Sofia Karalekas
After wrapping up my first year of the MALD program at Fletcher this May, I did not have much time to unwind from the semester, as I quickly packed my business casual clothes up in two large suitcases and headed to O’ahu, Hawai’i for a summer of professional development. This summer, I was fortunate to serve as an intern for the Department of Defense (DoD) at the United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), the oldest and largest of the unified combatant commands. USINDOPACOM’s Area of Responsibility (AOR) encompasses about half the earth's surface and is home to more than 50% of the world’s population, deeming it a uniquely diverse region in terms of culture, languages, economics, geopolitics, and more. Interning at INDOPACOM was thus pivotal in exposing me to the US role in current Indo-Pacific affairs, as well as helping me gain a working understanding of how my two fields of study – international environmental policy and international security – play into current US priorities in the region.
At USINDOPACOM, I interned specifically for the Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance (CFE-DM) with the Trainings and Engagements team. As I began my orientation at CFE-DM, I was unsure of what my work life would look like and what kinds of responsibilities I would be entrusted with. However, the entire CFE-DM team was incredibly welcoming, from organizing professional development sessions that equipped me with a greater working understanding of USINDOPACOM to briefing me on my expected deliverables as early as day 1. In my first week alone, I gained an immense amount of knowledge on how the DoD plays a role in disaster management, how international crises response operations are coordinated in the US government, how preparing for the mitigation of disasters serves as a function of military readiness, the role of civil-military relations in crisis situations, and more.
Throughout my internship, I was lucky enough to gain hands-on experience in international affairs by working on two projects. More than one third of Asia-Pacific nations are smaller, island nations, and both of my projects focused on them. My main project involved working with key government stakeholders in a nation in South Asia, for which I completed a multi-year risk analysis report, conducting comprehensive data analyses investigating how natural disasters have impacted the nation’s security. Within the project, I also completed an anticipatory risk analysis examining how future natural and anthropogenic disasters may impact the nation’s overall security, as well as highlighting key areas they may benefit from policy intervention. As I completed my deliverables for the stakeholder nation, the CFE-DM team was incredibly supportive, from helping me edit my work to answering my heavy subject-matter questions. This experience not only sharpened my quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills but also allowed me to engage directly with USINDOPACOM stakeholders under in an international setting.
My second project was for a small Pacific Island nation in Oceania – a region I had little prior experience working with. For this project, I had the privilege of supporting my colleagues in briefing government representatives from this nation and the UN International Organization on Migration on how emerging technologies can be leveraged to inform policies responding to rising sea levels and other pressing environmental security threats. Through this project, I gained a practical understanding of the ever-present links between environmental change and security, as well as how geospatial technologies can serve as valuable tools in evaluating the extent of these existential challenges.
When I was not in the office working on my projects at CFE-DM, I spent time networking with international affairs experts across USINDOPACOM and nearby organizations, such as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Coast Guard Oceania District. These conversations were instrumental in deepening my understanding of the field of international affairs outside the classroom while also broadening my awareness of the diverse and impactful work carried out across different divisions of the government. Outside of work, I made the most of life in Hawaiʻi — whether exploring new beaches, snorkeling, hiking, or trying classic Hawaiian foods.
My time at USINDOPACOM was extremely valuable for both professional development and personal growth. I gained direct exposure to the US’ role in Indo-Pacific security and policy, as well as how disaster management and crisis response can be integrated into defense strategies. Moreover, gaining hands-on experience in environmental security as a subfield of international affairs, along with the opportunity to contribute to USINDOPACOM’s meaningful international engagements, has strengthened my passion for this work and affirmed my commitment to pursuing a career grounded in public service.
I am deeply grateful to the Center for International Environment and Resource Policy (CIERP) for supporting my internship, which has been a pivotal experience for kicking off my career in international affairs. I look forward to returning to Fletcher this fall for my second and final year of my MALD program and applying my experiences from this summer to my coursework and future career endeavors.
Sofia Karalekas is a MALD candidate at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University studying International Environmental Policy and International Security. She recently earned her BA in Political Science and her BA in Human Rights from the University of Connecticut, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. She strongly values experiential learning opportunities and is looking forward to pursuing a career in international affairs after graduation.