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Beer Is Cheaper Than Therapy: Fort Hood's PTSD Problem (56:40)
Suicide rates are rising steadily at the Fort Hood military post, thousands of soldiers are on psychiatric medications, and mental health services there are reeling from a caseload of nearly 4,000 patients per month. Across the nation, young troops who became psychologically overwhelmed while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan and were told by dismissive commanders that “beer is cheaper than therapy” are returning stateside to cope with severe psychological trauma on their own. This program goes to Killeen, Texas, home of the Fort Hood military post, to interview Iraq war veterans and their families about the devastating repercussions of their deployment—including alcoholism and domestic abuse due to post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD—and the failure of military brass to take this problem seriously.
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Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1(40:17)
Today, more soldiers are lost to suicide than on the battlefield. After serving their country overseas, many military veterans in their darkest moments turn to the unique services of the Veterans Crisis Line to help with traumas like post-traumatic stress, depression, homelessness and drug dependence. This 40-minute documentary is an intimate look at the vital work of several responders who provide life-saving intervention and desperately needed referrals through the 24-hour Veterans Crisis Line, which provides support and hope to active and retired service members. Directed by Ellen Goosenberg Kent (Wartorn: 1861-2010, Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq), and produced by Dana Perry (Boy Interrupted), the film focuses on the intense, and at times chilling, calls received by the crisis line and the dedicated work of the responders and rescue coordinators+E14 who help distraught veterans find reasons to live. An HBO Production.
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The Good Soldier (53:32)
“War is about one thing only: it’s about killing. You either learn to kill somebody else or you get killed or wounded yourself.” This film examines how soldiers grapple simultaneously with their duty and their own humanity as it tracks the perilous psychological journeys of four decorated combat veterans of World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War. A combination of frank interviews and battlefield footage, The Good Soldier addresses the initial reluctance to kill, the act of killing from a distance and hand-to-hand, incidents of combat zone atrocities, the experience of getting wounded, mixed feelings of relief and alienation upon returning stateside, post-tour substance abuse and mental trauma, efforts at closure, and involvement with veterans-for-peace movements. A sobering statement both about and against war. Contains graphic military-related violence and instances of harsh language.
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Grounds for Resistance: Stories of War, Sacrifice, and Good Coffee (49:51)
Joint Base Lewis-McChord is a major U.S. military facility located nine miles south of Tacoma, Washington. Within walking distance of the base sits Coffee Strong, a nonprofit café established in 2008 by young veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. At Coffee Strong, soldiers, veterans, and members of military families have a venue in which to openly discuss politics, combat experiences, and the impact of war. The café also provides counseling services and other resources for those struggling with combat stress, military sexual trauma, difficulties with veteran benefits, or legal challenges. This documentary profiles the veterans who run Coffee Strong, exploring their decisions to join the military, their memories of deployment, their relationships with one another, and how their efforts to make a more peaceful and just world overlap with their own experiences of war. Contains profanity.
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HBO Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq (56:55)
A new generation of veterans is returning from Iraq. For the first time in American history, some 90% of those who are wounded survive their injuries. But a greater percentage of these men and women are coming home from Iraq with amputations, traumatic brain injuries, and severe post-traumatic stress. For the survivors, two days will forever memorialize their lives. The first is their birthday. The second is their Alive Day – the day they narrowly escaped death. These are the first-person stories of ten Alive Day heroes – as told to Emmy® Award-winning actor James Gandolfini. An HBO Production. An HBO Production.
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PTSD at Sea—Against the Odds: Inspiring Stories of Disability (28:11)
In this epsiode of Against All Odds, veteran Tyson Murray, a veteran attempts to learn new coping skills while participating in a 1000 kilometer kayak adventure from Sidney to Brisbane. He hopes to empower other veterans struggling with PTSD.
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Shelter (49:50)
Two-time Academy Award winning director Barbara Kopple intimately documents the on-the-ground work of the veteran-founded community-based service organization, Veterans Resource Center, in Northern California. Sharing the struggles of those they seek to pull out of a life lived on the streets, Shelter tells a story of vets saving vets, delving into the psychological trauma created by military service, the effects that remain long after active duty, and the difficult road back to a normal life for these women and men.
Try these videos to get started. Must be on campus or login with your COM account for off campus access.
