John Ismay
Veterans and Military Issues ReporterJohn Ismay spent a decade in the U.S. Navy as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician and Special Operations Officer. He completed multiple overseas deployments, including a combat tour to Iraq in 2007.
His work as a writer began that same year. He became a specialist on different kinds of weapons used by insurgents, created hundreds of reports on their use, and developed countermeasures that saved American lives.
When he left the Navy four years ago as a Lieutenant Commander, he turned to journalism. The choice was inspired, in part, by the work he did with the New York Times on an award-winning investigative series about the discovery of chemical weapons in Iraq.
John continued his work at the Times, writing for the At War Blog, while attending Columbia Journalism School, where he focused on long term investigative projects and data analysis.
He was among the writers of a pair of stories in the New York Times that won a George Polk Award, one of the most distinguished awards in journalism. The stories investigated the tactics of the Navy SEALs, the elite special operations force best known for the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The New York Times reporting raised concerns about excessive killing and civilian deaths by SEAL personnel.
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Traditionally, the military did little for departing troops except hand them discharge papers. But in recent years, it has enacted a mandatory program to… -
More than three years after a Federal judge said leasing land to for-profit companies on the West Los Angeles V.A. campus violated the rules under which… -
The Legislative Analyst’s Office is advising the state legislature to not renew a college grant program for California National Guard and State Military Reserve soldiers.
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About a dozen veterans gathered over beers and appetizers at a sports bar in Hollywood to watch Clinton and Trump participate in the first-ever "Commander in Chief Forum." -
Three warships are arriving at the Port of Los Angeles Tuesday and Thursday for L.A.'s first-ever Fleet Week.
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In Hollywood, the Korean War is almost forgotten. While U.S. movie studios have turned out hundreds of films about World War II and several dozen about… -
“Ajax In Iraq” reincarnates the classic warrior as A.J., a female Army specialist. -
LA VA Wait Times Lag National Average
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In an agency that was "built for men," VA leaders are working to add health care services for female veterans.Maggie Castillotorres says it's easy to feel…
