THE UNAUTHORIZED AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CAPTAIN KUJO: Biting Back

From the iron lungs of Butte, Montana, to the biting winds of North Dakota, the Johns family was forged in hardship long before Kim arrived. As the “unexpected gift” born late in his parents’ lives, Kim’s world in Portland is defined by a 40-year age gap and the echoing silence of a house where siblings are already adults. But the peace of a Catholic schoolboy’s life is shattered at age seven by a sharp note, a somber car ride with a nun, and the sudden, world-ending void left by his father’s death.

Escaping a fractured home and a controlling brother, seventeen-year-old Kim forges a signature to claim his independence. He trades the “rainbow” tie-dye of civilian life for the buzzed scalp and bleach-scented starch of the U.S. Air Force. Between the “padlock hustle”—a bizarre, bone-chilling trick involving a perforated septum—and the toxic, tar-like stench of jet fuel at Mountain Home AFB, a kid from Portland is hammered into “steel.” It is a journey through the “chemical graveyard” of the 70s, where the air tasted like poison and the training felt like a war that had already begun.

The uniform changes from Air Force blue to “Reserve Steel,” but the mission remains the same: holding the line against chaos. Rising to Command Chief Warrant Officer in the State Defense Force and donning the badge of a Reserve Deputy, Kim finds himself in the crosshairs of danger—from repelling into illegal cartel grow-ops in the Oregon backwoods to the high-stakes tension of SWAT medic duty. But the ultimate test of his resolve arrives with a single, devastating phone call on a September morning, leading him toward a crime scene that would haunt his psyche and pierce the veil between this world and the next.

In Depths of Duty: Dives and Rescues, Captain Kujo transforms his lifelong passion for diving into a profound calling of life-saving service. From instructing USMC Marines in bubble-free re-breather techniques and earning his Combatant Diver credentials at Coronado, to high-risk operations with Egyptian frogmen in the Red Sea, every dive hones the razor-sharp skills that define his career.
The chapter culminates in the harrowing 1996 Great Flood in Oregon, where as Staff Chief for marine operations with Saint Helens Fire District, Kujo and Lt. Bill Downey launch daring rescues amid catastrophic flooding in Clatskanie. Navigating jet skis and a Zodiac through debris-choked waters, they pull victims from rooftops—until a submerged log flips their PWC, sending them hurtling toward a deadly bridge piling. In a split-second battle against raging currents, they fight for survival, ultimately earning the Medal of Valor for acts of extraordinary heroism.
Blending technical mastery, adrenaline-fueled rescues, and the unbreakable bonds forged in crisis, this chapter reveals how Kujo’s underwater expertise became the foundation for saving lives on—and beneath—the surface.

In An Eco-Warrior’s Journey, Captain Kujo redefines what it means to be an environmental warrior—not through protest, but through a deep, disciplined bond with nature’s fiercest guardians. From trapping and training his red-tailed hawk “Hollywood” as a novice falconer under master Len Eisenzimmer, to hunting with the powerful bird for years, Kujo learns patience, observation, and respect for aerial predators that shaped his warrior ethos.
Parallel to his falconry in the 1980s, his scuba diving career revealed another truth: nothing truly disappears underwater. This insight expanded his commitment to environmental stewardship. Years later, in 2015, his maritime expertise led him to command two former U.S. Coast Guard cutters—Farley Mowat and her sister ship—for Sea Shepherd. Tasked with piloting the vessels from frozen Annapolis, Maryland, through the Chesapeake Bay ice, the Bermuda Triangle, and down the Atlantic to Key West, Florida, Kujo navigated treacherous conditions, vegan crew tensions, and the challenges of leading a high-stakes maritime operation.
Blending sky, sea, and a relentless “bite back” philosophy, this chapter reveals how Kujo’s adventures in the air and depths forged an unbreakable eco-warrior spirit, patrolling both skies and oceans in defense of the wild.

In Global Escapades – Middle East Brotherhood, Captain Kujo steps onto the world stage as a U.S. Department of Commerce-appointed trade representative, leveraging his growing USIA empire and hard-won resilience to export American underwater gear and grit across the Middle East. From trade missions in Istanbul, Riyadh, and Cairo—complete with a dramatic cultural makeover in a traditional thawb and shemagh—to witnessing public justice in Riyadh’s “Chop Chop Square,” Kujo navigates ancient customs and modern ambition.
Deep bonds form with Egyptian military leaders, including Major General Sayed Abdel Fatah Salem Harhour, sealed over Lebanese cuisine and culminating in paratrooper wings and a personal commendation. During the 2011 Arab Spring, Kujo dives into the heart of Tahrir Square, forging an unlikely brotherhood with Hasham Wadan of Egypt’s elite Unit 777 Hostage Rescue Force and members of the Muslim Brotherhood. Secret meetings, evasion tactics, and shared defiance amid revolution turn strangers into kin—until the 2013 crackdown reduces Brotherhood headquarters to ashes.
From commanding Nile patrols and training frogmen in Alexandria, to a harrowing Mediterranean dive rescue and personal protection by elite K-9 “Max,” Kujo’s global escapades reveal unbreakable alliances forged in fire, cultural immersion, and the raw intensity of revolution. This chapter exposes how one man’s journey from felon to international operator built bridges of brotherhood across oceans and conflict zones.