Engineering interns discover mission behind the mechanics

For Jack Moore and Harold “Quad” Jacobson, a summer internship wasn’t just about building experience, it was about building national defense.

Moore, a rising senior studying mechanical engineering at Liberty University, and Jacobson, a rising junior in aerospace engineering at Virginia Tech, joined Defense Logistics Agency Aviation this summer through the Department of Defense College Acquisition Internship Program.

“The goal is to provide interns with the opportunity to experience DLA culture and gain meaningful work experience,” said Cynthia Stinchcomb, intern supervisor and DCAIP administrator for DLA Aviation.

Hailing from Montpelier, Virginia, Moore is a sub-team leader for his school’s Formula Society of Automotive Engineers. He has experience in materials engineering research.

Jacobson is originally from Glen Allen, Virginia. Since his full name is Harold Jacobson IV, he goes by “Quad.”

While Moore applied directly through USAJOBS, Jacobson was contacted unexpectedly.

“I was searching through several job application sites through the fall semester, and apparently my information was given to DLA by another source,” Jacobson said. “There wasn’t a single person that talked bad about DLA during the entire interview process.”

Both completed interviews with DLA staff and began their internships in June, rotating through every team within DLA Aviation’s Engineering Directorate before diving into hands-on projects in the Metrology Lab.

“I thought that it was really cool to have an on-site lab with state-of-the-art tools,” Moore said. “I was shocked at how the CMM (coordinate measuring machine) was able to be programmed to compare a CAD (computer-aided design) model to the real part and then give a report.”

“The tools in that lab are amazing,” Jacobson added. “The laziness in me says we can just round it up, but the engineer in me says we have to be precise.”

Their summer was a crash course in defense logistics: drafting technical data packages, learning sustainment strategy, and even visiting chemical storage facilities. For Jacobson, the shadowing rotation was like “being thrown into a class that was already halfway done.”

And then came the acronyms.

“A normal day here was much different than college,” Moore said. “There was a lot of information … especially when learning all of the acronyms.”

“The first few weeks were just drowning in alphabet soup,” Jacobson said.

Team members across the division stepped up to guide the interns. Moore credited DLA Aviation’s Advanced Manufacturing Programs Chief Kyle Hedrick for his support, while Jacobson pointed to DLA Aviation’s Engineering Directorate’s Engineering and Technology Division Chief William Cary and the Reverse Engineering team.

“There wasn’t a single person who wasn’t happy to show us around or what they do, because it seemed like the people here are passionate about their jobs,” Jacobson said. “Basically, everyone in that section of the bay had a big role in what we learned whether that was providing feedback on our work, or showing ups how to use the lab equipment, or even for shooting hoops with us on slower days.”

Despite the steep learning curve, both interns say the experience left a lasting impact.

“This job has made me consider a long-term job in either the government or defense contracting,” Moore said. “My brother is in the Air Force, and my father is an Air Force veteran. Being able to support the warfighter is something that I take pride in and would love to continue doing in the future.”

Jacobson agreed but is keeping his options open.

“This internship has been a great stepping stone,” he said. “I’m still exploring.”

Both recommend that students consider applying, even if the process is long.

“See the program through,” Moore said. “The experience and perks are unmatched.”

Jacobson advised students to “apply to literally everything you think you’re somewhat qualified for.”

According to Stinchcomb, DCAIP is a win-win.

“Interns provide meaningful work, including clerical support, project initiatives and new ideas,” she said. “The internship program is funded externally and doesn’t come out of the agency budget, making it a cost-effective way to access talent.”

Interested students must be enrolled in a qualifying academic program with a GPA of 3.0 or higher. More information is available through DLA recruiters or USAJOBS.gov.

Remembering his first thought when entering the lab, Jacobson said, “‘what the heck is any of this stuff, and why is it so hot in here?’ Walking in, I had no idea what any of the machines were because we don’t have stuff like this at Tech (at least ones that are available to the general population) and I had never done dimensional analysis like they do here.”

As the summer winds down, Moore and Jacobson leave with full notebooks, new skills – and, hopefully, working air conditioning in their next lab.