During his internship at the U.S. Army War College, Cadet Earl Filgo ’25 developed scenarios designed to help the Army assess senior leaders’ ability to think strategically.—VMI Photo by Laura Peters Shapiro.
An internship at the U.S. Army War College was something Cadet Earl Filgo ’25 wouldn’t pass up. It was not a particular goal he had been striving for, but something he was required to do to complete his national security minor.
The international studies major from Jakarta, Indonesia, said he had applied to several other internships, but he was a little late to the game. Thanks to the help of Col. Spencer D. Bakich, VMI international studies professor and national security minor director, Filgo was able to gain an internship with the Army War College. He said without Bakich’s endorsement, he doesn’t believe he would have received the internship.
“Being a VMI cadet was what opened up the door and brought me through the finish line with regards to obtaining this internship,” he said. “This internship with the Army War College is very much relevant to my future military career in the Army, and I hope that it would make me stand out for my preferred branch of military intelligence.”
In his position, Filgo developed scenarios designed to help the Army assess senior leaders’ ability to think strategically.
Thanks to the opportunities and resources VMI has presented, Filgo has had great assistance in his personal and professional development. “I would not be where I am now if I had not gone to VMI, a commissioning track with an Army ROTC scholarship, the Institute Honors Program, and the various connections through alumni and faculty,” he said.
In the next decade, Filgo sees himself as either retired from the Army, setting up a business in either the space or security sector, or continuing with a military career and being involved diplomatically as a military liaison in the U.S. State Department. All of which, he said, wouldn’t be possible without the inspiration he gained from his father. “My dad inspired me,” said Filgo. “For most of my middle and high school years, I did not know what path to embark on. I was directionless, so I decided to start on a similar path as he did.”
Editor's Note: Story originally published by Virginia Military Institute.
