SEAP Internship - NIWC Atlantic

Summer 2024 • Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic

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As a SEAP intern at NIWC Atlantic in Charleston, SC, I worked across two labs focused on secure communication infrastructure and mobile application development. My internship provided direct experience supporting U.S. defense efforts through international military sales and DoD software platforms.

I began in the Foreign Military Sales Lab, where I configured laptops with LINK-16 for secure communications across five countries, prepared and packaged over a dozen server racks for export, and supported U.S.-Morocco communications amid Algerian regional threats. I later transitioned to the Mobile Applications Lab, where I improved user workflows on the STEMRocks platform and helped build a document center with React.js to simulate onboarding procedures for service members.

What I Did

Impact

This internship gave me real-world exposure to international defense operations, CAD-based equipment planning, and modern front-end development in a mission-critical setting. I left with new technical fluency, greater confidence collaborating in federal teams, and a deeper commitment to serving through secure, innovative engineering.

NIWC Atlantic Engagement

During my SEAP internship, I had the privilege of meeting Captain Matthew R. O’Neal, Commanding Officer of NIWC Atlantic, on the day of his official appointment to command. His leadership and insights strengthened my desire to contribute to secure, mission-driven engineering solutions for the Department of Defense.

Justin Schlag with Captain Matthew R. O’Neal, NIWC Atlantic