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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Los Angeles officials say they're housing more than 300 veterans a month. Still, the city's homeless veteran population continues to grow.This is part 3… -
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has heard arguments about the constitutionality of a male-only draft — and whether or not a case challenging that policy… -
Decades after Japanese bombs rained down on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. government is still working to bury those killed in the attacks — and provide closure… -
For more than thirty years, men have been required to register for the Selective Service. Now, there's growing sentiment that women should be included,… -
Florent Groberg is in one of the smallest clubs in the military: he's a recipient of the Medal of Honor, a distinction earned by only ten living veterans… -
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors is considering asking all vendors bidding on major county construction contracts to hire more military veterans.The… -
Groups like the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars have served former service members for a century. But declining membership threatens to lessen their influence. -
To commemorate Veterans Day, the American Homefront Project talks with former service members about their time in the armed forces.Dick Oliver remembers a… -
As more military jobs are opened to women, Congress may face the question of whether to require women to register for the Selective Service.This is part 2… -
The Department of Veterans Affairs would build hundreds of units of temporary and permanent housing for homeless on its West L.A. campus under a draft…
