The Baghdad Shuffle is his first

Josh Bates, author of The Baghdad Shuffle, will visit and speak at the Rotary Club of Waikiki on April 1, 2026.  He served as an infantry and intelligence officer in the United States Marine Corps from 2000 to 2022.  His service included combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and multiple operational assignments throughout the Indo-Pacific.  Josh’s formal education includes a BA in Political Science from the University of San Diego, an MA in Military Studies from the Marine Corps University, an MA in Diplomacy and Military Affairs from Hawai’i Pacific University, and a graduate certificate in China Intelligence Issues from the National Intelligence University.  Josh served as an adjunct instructor for both the National Intelligence University and the Marine Corps University’s College of Distance Education and Training.  His literary interests focus on hardboiled crime fiction and espionage/military thrillers. Josh lives with his family in Kailua, Hawai’i where he surfs, spearfishes, and provides technical and content advisement for a variety of media projects. The Baghdad Shuffle is his first novel.