Sept. 4, 2025

This piece is sponsored by Dakota State University.

Curtis Johnson wasn’t the only new face this summer in the Pentagon office of the Army’s principal cyber adviser; his first week as an intern coincided with the first week of the new principal cyber adviser, Brandon Pugh.

“He was very approachable and excited to be there because it was also his first week on the job,” Johnson said.

As an intern, Johnson spent six weeks researching Army and cybersecurity topics, producing one-to-two-page executive summaries for Pugh, who reports to the secretary of the Army and other high-ranking officials.

“My experience at DSU gave me both the technical background and the confidence I needed for my internship at the Pentagon,” he said. “When briefing senior Army leaders or meeting with high-ranking generals, I trusted myself and the information I was presenting because I believed in the education I had received.”

Another project Johnson worked on was developing an index of all National Guard cyber units and their capabilities. This index provided the office with a resource to find information quickly to brief the principal cyber adviser and his team.

In addition to supporting the principal cyber adviser, Johnson gained insight into how vital critical infrastructure is to Army operations. He explained that mobilizing the military requires train tracks to move tanks, phone and internet service to call up troops and sufficient energy to power bases.

“All of these pieces of U.S. critical infrastructure needed to mobilize troops are susceptible to cyberattacks or rely on vulnerable operational technology,” Johnson said. His office helped address these risks by developing cyber policies and providing oversight for the secretary of the Army.

Originally from Indianola, Iowa, the recent cyber operations graduate had never lived in a major city like Washington, D.C. The internship gave him the chance to visit national monuments, museums and historic sites and attend events like a Nationals baseball game. While working, he also explored the Pentagon, noting, “It’s one of the biggest office buildings in the world; it’s like its own small city.”

Johnson was surprised by the wide array of amenities inside the Pentagon, which include a flower shop, jewelry store, bank, dry cleaner, barber shop and multiple restaurants. One of his most memorable moments came unexpectedly while he was getting a haircut at the Pentagon: a four-star general walked in and struck up a conversation with everyone. Experiences like this gave Johnson the unique opportunity to meet and interact with leaders he had seen only on the news.

In addition to all the shops and services, the Pentagon features museum-style exhibits in its hallways. “I would walk into work, and in my hallway, it was the Vietnam exhibit,” Johnson said. “They had a real helicopter along with information and artifacts as part of the exhibit.”

With his internship complete, Johnson is excited to begin his career as a security analyst for an insurance company in Des Moines. At the same time, the experience reinforced his interest in one day joining the National Guard, particularly in one of its cyber units.

The internship allowed him to apply his knowledge in meaningful ways and laid a strong foundation for his future.

Reflecting on his time at the Pentagon, Johnson said, “I drew on the technical skills and hands-on experience I gained at DSU to deliver unique and relevant insights at one of the highest levels of cybersecurity in the nation.”