John Kael Weston

John Kael Weston represented the United States for over a decade as a State Department official and political adviser. Prior to his war-time service, he spent seven consecutive years in Iraq and Afghanistan (2003–2010) alongside U.S. Marines and soldiers in Fallujah, Khost, Sadr City, and Helmand-Weston, leading American efforts in the UN Security Council to freeze and block al Qaida-linked assets. Washington acknowledged his multi-year service in Fallujah with the Marines by awarding him one of its highest honors, the Secretary of State’s Medal for Heroism. He has worked closely with a dozen general officers, ranging in rank from one-star to four-star. Since leaving government service in 2010, Weston has been a regular contributor to The Daily Beast. He is writing a book on his experience in both wars, including a section on drone warfare, scheduled to be published by Knopf in 2014.