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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The U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs discussed ways to kickstart redevelopment of the West Los Angeles veterans campus in Brentwood.Among the… -
Hundreds of thousands of service members leave the military each year — some with a black mark on their records that'll prevent them from getting the… -
The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded $300 million to nonprofits nationwide to help reduce veteran homelessness, with $12.3 million going to… -
A federal program provides housing vouchers to help veterans pay their rent. But in cities with expensive housing markets, many landlords won't accept… -
Mayor Eric Garcetti's office said Los Angeles will miss its goal of ending veteran homelessness by the end of the year. He blamed the recent rise in the… -
The Veterans Administration has made progress reducing a backlog of disability claims, though veterans still have to wait several months for benefits.The… -
Legislation introduced in the U.S. Senate and House outlines a plan to build housing on the West L.A. veterans campus. A lawsuit settled earlier this year… -
The recent hack of data held by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management has raised concerns that the identities of undercover intelligence officers… -
Only four Iraq veterans have received the Medal of Honor, and some service members say the Pentagon has become stingy in recognizing valor.Defense… -
A VA Town Hall meeting degrades into a shouting match, as the agency discussed plans to redevelop its West Los Angeles campus.A town hall by Department of…
