Sohn, Julianne

Julianne Sohn served for five years as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Marine Corps and Marine Reserve. She graduated from the University of California at Los Angeles with a degree in anthropology and political science and was commissioned a second lieutenant after completing Officer Candidate School in December 1999. She then graduated from the basic officer course in June 2000.

Sohn's active-duty assignments include serving with the consolidated Public Affairs Office of the III Marine Expeditionary Force on Okinawa, Japan, from 2000 to 2001. During her tour there, she deployed to Korea, Thailand and mainland Japan to support joint, combined military exercises such as Cobra Gold, Ulchi Focus Lens and an artillery relocation exercise. She also served as the public affairs officer for the 6th Marine Corps Recruiting District, headquartered in Parris Island, S.C., from 2001 to 2003. Sohn left the Marine Corps in 2003 due to the strain of serving under the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

In 2005, Sohn was activated from the Individual Ready Reserves and served with the 5th Civil Affairs Group in Falluja, Iraq, and then later in Ramadi. During her tour in Iraq, Sohn worked with civil affairs teams that operated in Al Anbar province to generate media coverage for infrastructure projects, earning a Navy Marine Corps Achievement Medal. In spring 2006, Sohn chose to speak out about her experiences serving under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and joined the Call to Duty Tour, a national speaking tour that sought to reignite debate about the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" law.

Sohn was subsequently forced to resign her commission under the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy while in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR).

Sohn is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists and the American Legion and is a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. She was the honor graduate for her class from the Los Angeles Police Academy in February 2006 and currently serves as a police officer in LAPD's media relations section.