I served as a Deputy Director of a Military Intelligence program in Iraq. I retired as a decorated combat veteran. In war zones, no one is using talking points. I had to make life-and-death decisions for our troops and the Allied troops in the region...

Not hypotheticals. Not politics. Decisions where failure meant people didn’t come home. That level of responsibility shapes a person in ways very few people get to experience. Intelligence Officers are trained to see systems, consequences, and power clearly. One who always works, understanding that bad judgment or bad leadership can cost lives.

That is the kind of skill and leadership this moment requires. And it is HOW I THINK EVERY DAY— AND HOW I LEAD MY LIFE.

Joyce Intern at DARPA US military research agency. DARPA- The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA), the agency was created on February 7, 1958, by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in response to Union's launch of Sputnik 1 in 1957. By collaborating with academia, industry, and government partners, DARPA formulates and executes research and development projects to expand the frontiers of technology and science, often beyond immediate military requirements.