Kevin Knodell
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Kevin Knodell’s Biography
Read Full Bio →Kevin Knodell is and award winning journalist and author who currently reports on the military, security and diplomacy in Hawai'i and the greater Pacific for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.
Over the course of his career, he has filed stories from Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, South Korea, Fiji, Samoa and the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Along the way he has interviewed soldiers, revolutionaries, refugees, fishermen, firefighters, cops hip-hop producers, pole dancers and p…
Kevin Knodell’s Journalist Portfolio
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Interview
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Awards
See all 4 awards →Military Reporters & Editors Association Award
2021 - Best Overseas Coverage
Was awarded for field coverage of U.S. Army troops in Kirkuk, Iraq in March 2020 as they prepared to leave their base amid militia rocket attacks and the spread of COVID-19. From MRE: "This in-depth exploration of the military’s final days before handing over the K1 base to the Iraqis hits on the drama and drudgery of deployments, provides a riveting history of the region over the centuries and an analysis of the U.S. role in Iraq’s past, present and future."
Society of Professional Journalists Award
2020 - Health Care Reporting (3rd Place)
Awarded by the SPJ Hawaii Chapter: "Rarely do we get a glimpse into the steps -- or missteps -- that lead to a murder-suicide, much less one involving the military. Weaving together medical records and other accounts, the writer illustrates how Navy overlooked the issues. The best line in the story: The psychologist argued that if he pulled everyone who acted strangely off a sub, there wouldn't be enough sailors to man the fleet."
Military Times' Best Books
2018 - Non-Fiction
The graphic memoir Machete Squad, which I helped Army veteran Brent Dulak write and script, was selected as one of Military Times' top books of 2018. In describing the book, Military Times says: "Relying on minimal text and a talented illustrator to fill in the cerebral blanks, this memoir in graphic form is a peek into the mind of the young soldier with doubts before he deploys to Afghanistan in 2012. The austere settings are vast in scale yet feel intimate, as though you are seeing the world from Dulak’s eyes."
2018 INDIES Award Finalist
2018 - Graphic Novels & Comics
The graphic memoir Machete Squad, which recounts the experiences of former Army medic Brent Dulak with co-writing and scripting by myself, was a finalist for Forward Reviews' 2018 INDIES book awards. From Forward: "The book pulls no punches, showing soldiers seeking refuge from the horrors of war in alcohol, drugs, and meaningless sex. But the realism and honesty of Dulak’s tale make it all the more compelling when he finds a kind of purpose and redemption in the book’s climax."