Experience

Honolulu Star-Advertiser

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 100 - 200 Employee

• Staff Writer

  • Nov 2021 - Present

  Reporting on the military, veterans affairs, security and diplomacy in Hawaii and the greater Pacific region. Covering all U.S. military branches and the impact of their presence including training, regional strategy, economics, land use, environmental issues and other concerns. Also cover diplomatic activities of foreign consulates and visits by dignitaries. Was among the first reporters on the ground covering the 2023 Maui wildfires and their aftermath, covered the November 2021 Red Hill water crisis and subsequent efforts to close the Navy's Red Hill facility. Show less



Angry Planet (Podcast)

• Online Audio and Video Media

• Associate Producer

  • Jan 2018 - Present

  I work closely with the hosts on topic selection, booking/scheduling guests as well as doing background research and fact checking to produce weekly episodes that look at conflicts around the world and the tactics, technology, politics and propaganda that define them. I also helped develop and launch the rebrand of the podcast (from War College to Angry Planet) in summer of 2020. I work closely with the hosts on topic selection, booking/scheduling guests as well as doing background research and fact checking to produce weekly episodes that look at conflicts around the world and the tactics, technology, politics and propaganda that define them. I also helped develop and launch the rebrand of the podcast (from War College to Angry Planet) in summer of 2020.



Report for America

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Report For America Corps / Reporter at Honolulu Civil Beat

  • Jun 2020 - Oct 2021

  Reporter covering the military and veterans for Honolulu Civil Beat through Report For America, a national nonprofit that places journalists in local news rooms to fill coverage gaps and tackle underreported issues. Report For America Corps Members also undertake a local service project. I worked as a mentor for group of high school student journalists during the 2020-2021 school year teaching them about storytelling techniques, providing editing and feedback as they work on their own self-directed projects. In fall of 2021 I served as a volunteer advisor to McKinley High School's student newspaper The Pinion. Show less



Coffee or Die Magazine

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Correspondent

  • Feb 2019 - Jun 2020

  Roving correspondent. Reported from the field in Iraq and Syria spending time on the front lines with U.S. troops, Kurdish fighters, Syrian Christian militiamen, aid workers and displaced civilians. Also reported in the United States on veterans, weapons technology and wrote essays on history and pop culture. My coverage of the withdrawal of American soldiers from Kirkuk in March 2020 amid militia rocket attacks and the spread of COVID-19 won the 2021 Military Reporters & Editors Association Award for Best Overseas Coverage. Show less



Independent Contractor - various media outlets

• United States
• Media Production
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Freelance Journalist

  • Jun 2008 - Jun 2020

  I have broad experience in writing, photography and video. I have worked with The Daily Beast, Foreign Policy Magazine, Crosscut, Vice, The Nib, The Seattle Globalist, Humanosphere, McClatchy Newspapers and others. I've covered business, the environment, immigration, natural disasters, small town politics and international conflict. I have broad experience in writing, photography and video. I have worked with The Daily Beast, Foreign Policy Magazine, Crosscut, Vice, The Nib, The Seattle Globalist, Humanosphere, McClatchy Newspapers and others. I've covered business, the environment, immigration, natural disasters, small town politics and international conflict.



Playboy Enterprises, Inc.

• United States
• Consumer Services
• 700 & Above Employee

• Contributor

  • Jan 2017 - May 2020

  Reported on the intersections of culture, politics and war for Playboy Magazine's print and online products. Topics included the Pentagon's defense acquisition processes, Iraqi Kurdistan’s nightlife, the U.S. military's growing pains as it attempts to integrate women into historically male only combat units, the gender dynamics of Lebanon’s October Revolution, U.S.-China relations, how tactical gear became a fashion statement and many others. Reported on the intersections of culture, politics and war for Playboy Magazine's print and online products. Topics included the Pentagon's defense acquisition processes, Iraqi Kurdistan’s nightlife, the U.S. military's growing pains as it attempts to integrate women into historically male only combat units, the gender dynamics of Lebanon’s October Revolution, U.S.-China relations, how tactical gear became a fashion statement and many others.



U.S. Naval Institute

• United States
• Non-profit Organizations
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Writer of the 'Acts of Valor' Comic Series

  • Apr 2017 - Dec 2019

  I wrote the scripts for the 'Acts of Valor' comic series in collaboration with artist Kelly Swann. Published by USNI in Naval History Magazine, each installment focuses on the true story of a sailor, Marine or Coast Guardsman that received the Congressional Medal of Honor. I wrote the scripts for the 'Acts of Valor' comic series in collaboration with artist Kelly Swann. Published by USNI in Naval History Magazine, each installment focuses on the true story of a sailor, Marine or Coast Guardsman that received the Congressional Medal of Honor.



War Is Boring

• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Contributing Editor

  • Jan 2014 - Sep 2017

  Covered national security, military life, extremist movements, refugees, disaster response, peacekeeping operations and dug up obscure military history. In 2016 I worked with the investigative news team where we looked into the circumstances of a deadly V-22 Osprey crash in Hawaii and dug into the Air Force's big spending on NASCAR events. In addition to conventional news reporting and editing, I also served as the Comics Editor and wote the scripts for WIB's semi-regular non-fiction True War Comics series, drawn by artist Blue Delliquanti. In that role I co-developed the graphic novels The 'Stan and Machete Squad in collaboration with Dead Reckoning Graphic Novels. Show less

• Field Team Coordinator for Iraq/Syria

  • Jun 2014 - Apr 2015

  Supervised and edited an international team of journalists covering the war against ISIS, mostly from predominantly Kurdish regions in Northern Iraq and Northeast Syria. Our field team was small but punched far above its weight, its work would be cited by much larger outlets including The New Yorker, Fox News, Huffington Post, France 24, Yahoo News and Rudaw English.

• Book Critic

  • Jun 2013 - Dec 2013

  Wrote book reviews, author interviews and analysis of military history and current events.



Swarner Communications

• Newspaper Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Reporter / Photographer

  • Aug 2014 - May 2017

  Reported and took photos for Swarner's weekly newspapers The Ranger, The NW Airlifter and The Weekly Volcano. Covered the military and veterans around Joint Base Lewis-McChord along with Tacoma's music and art scene. Reported and took photos for Swarner's weekly newspapers The Ranger, The NW Airlifter and The Weekly Volcano. Covered the military and veterans around Joint Base Lewis-McChord along with Tacoma's music and art scene.



Discover Parkland

• Tacoma, WA

• Content Manager

  • Feb 2012 - May 2014

  Editor for the hyper-local news and community blog discoverparkland.com answering to the board of directors. Duties included editing stories, supervising student journalists and interns, updating the community event calendar, attending meetings of local organizations, and seeking out potential news stories and features. Several student journalists and interns I trained and supervised went on to have successful careers in journalism and marketing. Editor for the hyper-local news and community blog discoverparkland.com answering to the board of directors. Duties included editing stories, supervising student journalists and interns, updating the community event calendar, attending meetings of local organizations, and seeking out potential news stories and features. Several student journalists and interns I trained and supervised went on to have successful careers in journalism and marketing.



McClatchy

• United States
• Newspaper Publishing
• 500 - 600 Employee

• Reporter / Photographer

  • Jul 2012 - Sep 2013

  Reported for South Puget Sound area newspapers The Puyallup Herald and The Peninsula Gateway where I wrote and photographed human interest stories and community news. Also served as an on-call photographer to assist staff writers with stories. Reported for South Puget Sound area newspapers The Puyallup Herald and The Peninsula Gateway where I wrote and photographed human interest stories and community news. Also served as an on-call photographer to assist staff writers with stories.



War Is Boring

• Book and Periodical Publishing
• 1 - 100 Employee

• Contributing Writer

  • Jun 2008 - Jul 2012

  Researching and writing on international conflict, military history and weapon technology. Researching and writing on international conflict, military history and weapon technology.



Pacific Lutheran University

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Teaching Assistant - History Department

  • Aug 2011 - Dec 2011

  Assistant to Professor Adam Cathcart for his course Revolutionary China. Worked on developing lesson plans, put together presentations, gave occasional guest lectures, and was a resource for students to go over paper drafts and address concerns.

• Photographer at The Mooring Mast

  • Sep 2010 - Dec 2011

  Took pictures for PLU's student newspaper The Mast. Worked on stories on campus and in the surrounding Tacoma, Parkland and Spanaway communities.

• Interim Photo Editor at The Mooring Mast

  • Oct 2011 - Nov 2011

  Took over the role of Photo Editor when the individual who had the job unexpectedly quit and walked off the job Supervised a team of four photographers, edited photos and assisted other editors with page layouts and copy editing.