[2] Yon's first book, Danger Close, details this event and tells the story of his life up to the age of 20, after he had completed the selection and training process for the United States Army Special Forces.

[7] Yon was discharged from the Army in 1987 and worked in a variety of different businesses,[2] and for a while provided security detail for the late pop star Michael Jackson.

Notably, he covered the Aghori, an obscure Hindu cult that eats human flesh to gain magic powers supposedly.

[11] That month, he also traveled to Singapore, Bahrain, the Philippines, and Turkey to report on Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' security meetings.

In an interview with Epoch Times, he claimed he witnessed Antifa, not white nationalist militias such as Proud Boys or Oath Keepers as other media have reported, "clearly led" the insurrection.

"[16] He supports embedded journalism over traditional reporting, believing that the closer writers are to events the less likely they are to repeat military public relations spin.

Yon was a vocal proponent of a 'surge' strategy in Iraq and expressed his support in many interviews for Senator John McCain in the 2008 Presidential election.

[12] Yon also wrote in the aftermath of the Iranian election protests that he agreed with controversial author Michael Ledeen's views about Iran.

[11] In an August 2009 interview at Helmand Province, he reiterated his belief that the Afghan Taliban are stronger than the NATO presence, comparing the situation to Apocalypse Now.

[18] Describing how his personal views affect his writing, Yon stated, "I feel no shame in saying I am biased in favor of our troops.

[19] The New York Times commented that "Like most bloggers, Mr. Yon has an agenda, writing often that the United States’ mission to build a stable, democratic Iraq is succeeding and must continue.

[20] Yon has praised several media agencies he has worked with, saying "The journalists for places like the New York Times and Wall Street Journal are actually very good with their facts.

"[12] In his 2008 book Moment of Truth in Iraq, Yon wrote: Happy news for the Left was that U.S. soldiers were demoralized and the war was being lost...

[20]Yon supports the personal use of his images and writings by ordinary people, but he believes that larger institutions such as television networks and magazines should respect his copyright.

[21] Yon's reports detail his conflicts with the U.S. military command as well, which culminated in an October 2008 article in The Weekly Standard titled "Censoring Iraq".

[1] Although working as a writer, Yon crossed the line in Mosul and engaged in combat in an attempt to save the lives of four American soldiers.

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore used the photo without permission at michaelmoore.com,[25] with it placed alongside then-Senator Hillary Clinton attacking her support for the invasion of Iraq.

[6] Yon contacted his lawyers and agreed with Hachette Filipacchi Médias that he would be paid a licensing fee, with the majority of proceeds going to a charity supporting US military families.

"[30] Through spring 2010, Yon engaged in an ongoing war of words with Canadian Army Brigadier-General Daniel Menard and US General Stanley McChrystal, the latter who commanded International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

[33] In 2013, Yon criticized General Martin Dempsey for the policy of painting a bright red crosses on medical evacuation helicopters.

However, he failed to mention a U.S. informant's report on the Japanese Military not preventing the abuse and rape of Malaysian women at 'licensed public comfort houses,' which led to historians and authors disagreeing with him.

[35][36][37][15] In 2014, FeND Now Network's (Japan-U.S. Feminist Network for Decolonization) feminist writer, Emi Koyama,[15][38] and Monthly Hanada Magazine's right-wing editor-in-chief, Kazuyoshi Hanada, reported Michael Yon receiving book deals, financial agreements, and speaking tours from Yoshiko Sakurai, a conservative member from the Global Alliance for Historical Truth,[39] and the Nippon Kaigi.

He published articles about denying the comfort women system as a form of sexual slavery in the English media and spoke at her think tank about it.

[38][40][41] Al Jazeera also reported that Yon viewed the comfort women issue as a strategic "information war" meant to keep Japan divided and weak.

[43][44] Though he broke off with the other Japanese nationalist movements, he continues to publish many posts on his blog and social media to this day, claiming this issue to be a lie.

[41] Since 2021, Yon has worked as a fixer in the Darién Gap, a dangerous stretch of jungle used by migrants entering the United States illegally.

A New York Times article noted that he targeted the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society, quoting him as saying that "they’re coming across the border and it’s being funded with Jewish money.”[45] The effect is a consequence of sand hitting helicopter rotors in sandy environments.