Anonymous (2024)

State

I spent several years working overseas in humanitarian missions in conflicts in the Middle East and Africa, but I felt the work I did was a Band-Aid. I wanted to support the diplomatic decisions to solve these crises and ultimately serve back on frontlines, representing the US in high-stakes negotiations to make long-lasting change.

The PMF program was flawed — the requirements meant many offices struggled to bring people on — but the opportunity is extraordinary. Getting to rotate means participating in policymaking from multiple perspectives and bringing that experience back to better fulfill your team's mission. An efficient government should value expertise and have more programs like these.