Career Conversations: U.S. Army Intelligence Analyst

In this Career Conversation, Diana walks through her experience as a U.S. Army intelligence analyst — from joining the military without a clear direction, to learning how intelligence is gathered, evaluated, and acted upon at high levels.

She explains how analysts are trained to detect patterns, weigh unreliable information, and make recommendations inside rigid hierarchies, and how competence often clashes with rank and bureaucracy. Diana also reflects on accountability, training failures, and why talent frequently slips through institutional cracks.

The conversation closes with a sober look at U.S. military power, moral authority, and how working inside the system reshaped her understanding of patriotism, responsibility, and self-interest — without reducing the experience to cynicism or regret.