1985-1992

INSIGHT MAGAZINE

Senior Writer

Covered domestic and international

affairs - writing 22 cover stories and

numerous other articles in five years.

Special investigations included Inside Iraq (1986), the first NASA shuttle tragedy and the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl. Covered Desert Storm with exclusive interviews with Colin Powell and Norman Schwarzkopf.

Won National Headliner Award for

"Outstanding Coverage of a Major

News Event," the Afghan War.

Highlights of Mackenzie's career... To view his films, please go to the Mackenzie Films page...

2010-2011

Mackenzie Productions was contracted to produce  a lengthy television series in Afghanistan for

the U.S. government on the training of Afghan security forces, “Birth of an Army.” Working with

the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and allied forces in Afghanistan, the unit not only made television but

also trained a large team of Afghans in documentary production.

2009

Mackenzie Productions was “Senior Producer” of a 13-hour series, “Lock n’ Load,”

for History channel, featuring “Gunny” R. Lee Ermey of “Full Metal Jacket” fame. Each episode

of “Lock & Load” is a fun, informative chrono-logical examination of a weapon or weapons

system from it’s invention to the latest and greatest. The Mackenzie role in this series was

to originate and organize U.S. military participation and presence in each episode as well

as liaise with the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force on behalf of the Lock n’ Load series.

2008

Produced “Flight of the V-22 Osprey,” the story of the controversial tilt rotor aircraft that killed 30 men in its test flights and finally cost more than $20 billion dollars. Mackenzie and his team travel with the Osprey Squadron, living and flying with them day and night for two months in Iraq in search of answers. This film was made for Discovery’s Military Channel.

Also produced and directed the first one-hour version of Lock n’ Load asa pilot for the History channel (on the evolution of the rifle), which led to the program becoming a 13-episode series.

2006-2007

Produced “Against All Odds,” a long-form documentary in Afghanistan for Al-Jazeera Television on the life of famed Afghan Dr. Abdullah who would later run against Afghan President Hamid Karzai. Also worked on a book on the recent history of Afghanistan.

2005

TSUNAMI: ANIMAL INSTINCT, 21ST CENTURY WARFIGHTER, COMBAT READY, TSUNAMI:

ONE YEAR LATER (for several Discovery networks)

Traveling from Germany to Thailand and Sri Lanka in 2005, Mackenzie produced and wrote seven hours of television documentaries on a wide variety of subjects -- from animals saving humans after the tsunami to the latest technology, tactics, weapons and strategy to train and equip U.S. troops for war.

2004

TASK FORCE RED DOG (ABC Nightline and Discovery): Producer

After spending six months on the front line with a USMC helicopter squadron and U.S. Army infantry units hunting Osama bin Laden, Mackenzie produced three films -- two for ABC Nightline and a one-hour documentary that launched Discovery's Military Channel.

2001

Launched Mackenzie Productions. See Mackenzie Films page...

1998-2001

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TELEVISION: Supervising Producer/Writer

Produced and wrote feature films for network television series, National Geographic Explorer. Subjects ranged from breaking news and exploration to natural history. Worked more than 30 projects per year.

1995-1998

FREE-LANCE JOURNALIST AND FILM PRODUCER

Wrote for various publications including the New Republic. Produced documentaries for television including Dateline NBC, ABC News and others.

Co-Author: Fundamentalism Reborn? Afghanistan Under the Taliban (NYU Press, 1998)

1993 - 1995

CNN: Investigative Producer & Writer

Worked in CNN Special Assignment Unit producing long-form documentaries -- including the first

World Trade Center bombing, Russian Organized Crime and global cocaine cartels. Won the Edward R. Murrow Award for “The Kingdom of Cocaine.”