Kimberly Johnson

Kimberly Johnson is a freelance reporter and magazine writer who has spent more than a decade reporting national and international affairs.

Kimberly began her career covering labor and aviation news for trade publications in Washington, DC. Her career pounding the aviation beat, however, took a decidedly different turn after pursuing an assignment in Iraq on the resumption of commercial flights after the fall of the Saddam Hussein regime. She later returned to Iraq as a freelancer, embedding alongside U.S. Marines for months in Anbar Province.  Her personal blog about her experiences and observations in the field caught the eye of editors at USA Today, which sent her back into Iraq as a roving embed and special correspondent. Her experiences in the field have run the gamut from covering the Saddam trial as a pool reporter to going on a foot patrol with Gen. Stanley McChrystal in Afghanistan.

Stateside, Kimberly continues to write about military and defense issues, as well as general interest topics. In addition to working for USA Today, Johnson has filed for ForeignPolicy.com, Reader’s Digest, GlobalPost, Agence France Presse (AFP), US News & World Report, National Geographic News, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa), The Financial Times of London,  Aviation Week & Space Technology, Defense Technology International, and Defense Systems.

Johnson graduated from the University of South Carolina. She lives in Salisbury, NC with her husband and their daughter.

“JAWS is a tremendous resource for me, both professionally and personally. The organization is a conduit for a wealth of collective experience that is overflowing with inspiration, networking opportunities and support.”