This retired rear admiral caught a reporter playing Pokemon Go in a press briefing

Retired Rear Adm. John Kirby was a Navy public affairs officer for decades and now serves as the State Department's top spokesman, so he's been around journalists for a while and given plenty of briefings. That may explain why he was so…

Retired Rear Adm. John Kirby was a Navy public affairs officer for decades and now serves as the State Department’s top spokesman, so he’s been around journalists for a while and given plenty of briefings.


That may explain why he was so chill when — in the middle of reading a statement about defeating ISIS propaganda — he noticed a journalist playing Pokemon Go on a smartphone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34LAEvGfLsQ

Look, WATM isn’t one of those places that wants to take people’s joy away. Do your thing and enjoy life. If Pokemon make you happy, chase those Pokemon.

But maybe let’s don’t interrupt a briefing about the importance of defeating ISIS on the internet by playing video games — Pokemon Go or otherwise.

Unless, of course, you’ve found a way to defeat ISIS via video games. Then please forward your idea to WATM so we can spread the word.

Logan Nye Avatar

Logan Nye

Senior Contributor, Army Veteran

Logan was an Army journalist and paratrooper in the 82nd. Now, he’s a freelance writer covering military history, culture, and technology. He has two upcoming podcasts and a Twitch channel focused on basic military literacy.