We are Defence: this is Becky’s story
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From starting out managing inventory at Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) to working on Defence policy at the British Embassy in Washington DC, Becky shares her experiences.
Growing up, I had family in the military and was used to a lifestyle where moving regularly and doing a variety of jobs was the norm. I knew I wanted to work in government and travel overseas, so joining Defence felt like a natural fit.
My first job was as an inventory manager for periscope equipment at DE&S in Bristol. Although it wasn’t a role I’d have ever imagined doing, I had a good amount of responsibility for a junior grade, looking after a £2.5 million repair budget as an admin assistant — it was a brilliant experience.
I visited all our Trafalgar and Vanguard class submarines during this time which gave me a great insight into the sacrifice and commitment made by our submariners — the people in Defence really are its greatest strength!
After a couple of years of this I was ready to move on and my next role saw me work in a completely different environment, as I moved up to London to take up the role of diary manager for then Permanent Secretary Jon Thompson.
This role gave me my a far-wider insight into how Defence works, and I was fortunate enough to attend meetings at Number 10 (Downing Street) — I’m ashamed to say that, given the opportunity, I did take a selfie!
My next role gave me a taste of the travel I’d hoped to have in my career, as I took up the position of desk officer for Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Ireland.
As a desk officer for the Baltic states, I worked on some important policy decisions at an interesting time — the Ukrainian crisis had had a noticeable effect in the region with Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. This gave me an early taste of working in America through visiting the Pentagon to work on Baltic Security issues.
My next move saw me arrive in Washington DC on the day Donald Trump announced he was running for president. I think that everyone who works in Washington will remember the election day for the rest of their lives!
I now work for the British Defence Staff-US (BDSUS) which is developing my knowledge of how Government works through regular working with the Foreign Office, Home Office and Department for International Development — it’s a bit like working in a mini-Whitehall at times.
I work to make sure that the UK remains fully appraised of the latest US-thinking, including facilitating bilateral US/UK engagement on a range of policy issues. Work here is varied and depending on what the Administration is up to, I might find myself attending a congressional hearing and doing a quick write-up, or going to the Department of Defence (DoD) to meet my opposite numbers and discuss the US Defense Secretary’s priorities.
Supporting senior visits is one the best elements of my job, and briefings and scheduling issues aside, they often end up being a lot of fun.
When Stephen Lovegrove first visited DC as MOD Permanent Secretary, there were meetings at the Hill (Congress) and the DoD, a lot of media engagement and a speech at the Atlantic Council think tank. And all in 24 hours. In my experience, while foreign trips often sound glamorous, in practice they are often intense and require a lot of hard work.
In my time in Defence I’ve worked with, and for, some amazing people and it’s fair to say that the best thing about working in Defence is those you work with. From those deployed to those who work crazy hours because they believe in what they are doing — it’s such a good bunch of people to surround yourself with.
And this extends to social activities too. One of my most memorable experiences has been running the Marine Corps Marathon in DC — we ran for the Allied Forces Foundation where we were matched up with injured service personnel. Lots of people from the Embassy came to support and we managed to raise quite a bit of money — it was an amazing day. It’s experiences like these which bring home just how special working in Defence is.
As to the future, I’m looking to stay in Defence and build on my experiences. I value the work being undertaken to ensure fairer opportunity for women to reach senior roles in the Department, and am looking forward to seeing where my career takes me next and making new friends along the way.
