Thomas Gibesneff

My name is Thomas Gibesneff.

I'm a journalist at the New York Times.

I served in the Marine Corps as an infantryman.

When it comes to reporting on the front line, I think nothing is more important than talking to the people involved, hearing their stories and being able to connect that with people thousands of miles away.

Anything that can make something like this more personal, I think, is well worth the risk.

New York Times subscribers make it possible for us to keep doing this vital coverage.

If you'd like to subscribe, you can do that at nytimes.com slash subscribe.