MITRE is an authoritarian culture where trouble invariably flows downhill. You have to be very careful not to give the wrong impression. This requires that you be very engaging of your task leads, especially as regards schedule, which is tracked weekly. You have to be very careful, lest trouble finds you. Once you get on the radar screen of your group lead and managers in a negative way, the machinery of the organization will come down hard on you, whether you did anything to deserve it or not.
There is no concern for the welfare of the employee, making MITRE a somewhat impersonal environment.
