What They're Saying

	Moe Armstrong, MBA, MA, Founder of Vet to Vet; Yale University Lecturer I wanted to talk about the pride I felt watching Another Kind of Valor. As one of Dan E. Weisburd's first consultants I didn't feel shortchanged one bit. The DVDs really dealt with the complex behavioral aspects of mental illness which come from combat. As a decorated combat veteran who ended up mentally ill and homeless, I can honestly say this video series captures the feelings and the needs of our veterans who've known severe trauma. It is by far the best educational material about PTSD and how to live with it that I have ever seen. Get it to the vets themselves, not just to those who want to help them! It's a morale booster, too.
	Bill Anthony, Director, Center for Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Boston University Another Kind of Valor reminds us anew that the essence of understanding any issue comes from stories we are told that stay with us. The unforgettable stories in the Valor DVD series, bring us into personal contact with challenges our returning veterans face and leave us with insights we have never had before of this much less recognized valor demanded of former warriors so they may co-exist again with us back home. Inescapably we are left with the question, "Do we have what it takes, the skills and the valor to become involved with them in this new battle?" And will we? Another Kind of Valor is not simply about battlefield courage, but about the kind of valor and resilience needed to once again take up a life worth living away from war and its traumatic impact. Each of the 9 stories in the Valor Learning System confronts us with questions that must be faced by the rest of us, such as: What are the responsibilities of those of us who benefited from our veterans' service to our country? How can we, as mental health professionals, family members and/or public citizens, support their valor with a valor of our own, and participate with them in the walk they now must walk to truly find their way back home?
	Lori Ashcraft, Ph.D., Recovery Innovations, Inc. Another Kind of Valor introduces us to real people faced with the very real problems associated with restarting their lives after having suffered personal losses related to war. There's no fluff; no easily solved problems; no easy way out. This docudrama tackles the tough situations — quadriplegia, rape, drug abuse and more — then explores options for moving ahead. In spite of the subject matter, Valor manages to move beyond helplessness and to give hope to those who want to make a difference.
	Jean Arnold, Co-founder and Chair, National Stigma Clearinghouse Many veterans returning from Middle East battlefields are grappling with disabling stress disorders that are invisible, misunderstood, and too often ignored and untreated till avoidable disasters occur. To help families and communities better understand Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), a new nine-part docudrama DVD series, Another Kind of Valor, succeeds brilliantly in showing how PTSD may unfold and what may be done to limit its ruinous consequences. Set amid relentless destruction and uncertainty, the nine-part docudrama series recounts shattering events that propel able men and women toward self-destructive behavior, including rape and suicide. Played by veterans, actors and healthcare professionals, the characters' tortured states of mind become understandable to the viewer. The nine vignettes are suffused with longing as each homebound veteran struggles to escape the dreaded pain deep within. The Valor series includes a Learning CD that explores every aspect of how to help individuals whose futures are threatened by PTSD. Although the series is designed for men and women with war-based trauma disorders, these extraordinary videos greatly enrich the selection of PTSD films available to the general public.
	Roy Brown, Vet To Vet Counselor Army Basic Training at Fort Polk, Louisiana in the 1970's. Advanced Infantry Training at Fort Lee, Virginia. Attained the rank of Specialist 4 in Company B, Headquarters Command, Fort Benning, Georgia. Broke his leg and was released Under Honorable Conditions with what was called at the time a Character Disorder. Today that is known as Bipolar in the civilian world, or Personality Disorder for troops coming out of Afghanistan and Iraq. I guess my army experience was why I was cast in Valor. I'm not sure. I knew I looked good in my uniform, and I wore it with pride. But essentially I had been told by the army that I did not measure up. What happened next for me was homelessness, and proving the army right. Then, through a lot of down years, in places like skid row, I discovered I did have value. I could help others, who had fallen, to pick themselves up. I had a choice. I could model recovery, or wallow in self pity. My career now is Vet To Vet counseling, "one blessed day at a time," without acting too holy about it. In Valor my words are my own. Cynical at times. My actions are moral and often tough. Playing the Master Sergeant was a real opportunity to pass the test this time — to show another kind of valor, you might say.
	David W. Gorman, Executive Director, DAV Washington Headquarters, Disabled American Veterans The true accounts depicted in Another Kind of Valor offer a unique perspective on the challenges faced by severely injured and disabled veterans, as well as their family caregivers. While most Americans can empathize with the challenges faced by veterans suffering from physical injuries and disabilities, it is often more difficult for civilians to comprehend the complex emotional and psychological problems confronting veterans suffering from post-deployment mental health issues — or the invisible injuries of war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and traumatic brain injury. By bringing these stories to life through the docudrama format, Another Kind of Valor helps to foster awareness, discussion, and understanding of the struggles our disabled veterans and their family caregivers face, and contributes to the development of a more supportive environment in which they can begin to heal and recover from the wounds of war.
	Hilly Hicks, Senior Pastor at Crenshaw United Methodist Church in Los Angeles. In his youth he was a star in two TV classics, Roots and M.A.S.H., as well as in a documentary, Uphill Climb, narrated by Jack Lemmon and produced and directed by Dan Weisburd who also credited him as an Associate Producer at the age of 19. Then came divinity school and the chance to do television for his church. When Dan asked me to portray a combat chaplain in Valor and deal with issues like moral courage and speaking truth to power, plus serve as one of the project's producers and possibly do some directing, I couldn't say no. To prepare I flew to Landstuhl Hospital in Germany, and with other chaplains did bedside visits with badly injured vets. A young man burned over 90% of his body was mercifully unconscious. An African-American soldier who had lost both legs to an IED was delirious and had many other serious internal injuries. Doctors doubted either would live. Outside in the hallway I met mothers and wives and little children who had been flown in from the States. In sessions away from the hospital we chaplains tried to debrief. But after only a few tortured comments words failed us all. Only tears came for about an hour. It was a transforming experience, and I suddenly knew what I would bring to the filming of Another Kind of Valor. Whether the war was right or wrong I was there for our troops and their loved ones, and I knew the words would come when I did my part in the unscripted improvised production that called on all of its participants to go farther beyond their limits than any could have imagined. What ever I would contribute I knew would come from my innermost being, where I hold deep respect for my friends in the chaplaincy who allowed me to share their truths and their world.
	Annita Jones, PsyD, Allentown, PA. EMDR therapist in Another Kind of Valor Since I work with complex trauma every day, I have typically held a candlelight vigil the last Saturday in April, Victims of Violent Crime Month, and once had a reporter ask me who could participate. I responded that anyone who had been victimized, had a family member who had or knew someone who had was welcomed. He looked a bit shocked and said, "Well, that's everybody!" I said, "Exactly." Anywhere we have men and women — although many are barely that by legal definition — in a potentially violent situation, it affects everybody. The set of vignettes in Another Kind of Valor points to some of the myriad ways the impact is felt by our veterans and their families. Unfortunately, they're all true.
	June Judge, NAMI Veterans Council, Past Chair, and Family Education Specialist (NAMI), Iowa City, IA I am a WWII “child of war.” My father suffered from what was then called “battle fatigue.” When he came home from the Okinawa campaign he “sat” for almost 6 years. He was clinically depressed. We three children had no idea what was wrong. We blamed ourselves. My father did recover, picked up his life as a school superintendent, in Iowa, lived “well” and died at age 88. He was a Lt. Col. in the Army Reserve and he was buried in his uniform. He tried to tell his family what was wrong when he returned to us, so ill, but there was no support or understanding of “mental wounds” in those days. Dan Weisburd’s Another Kind of Valor, drawing from true accounts of veterans, gives to families such as mine and to the general public an understanding of the invisible wounds that were sustained, and their causes. Never has there been such a vivid, comprehensive description. We are indebted to Dan who had the vision, talent and determination to create this living docudrama and to the courageous veterans who told him their stories.
	Steven R. Marder, MD, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and the Greater Los Angeles VA Another Kind of Valor uses the docudrama method to illustrate what happens when men and women try to rebuild their lives as they return from the battlefields in the Middle East. It is clear that the film makers have gathered their material from real life since each of the segments has the ring of truth. The end result is a series of moving portraits of people who are bravely trying to live with the physical and psychological wounds of war. This is a powerful teaching tool that will be of extraordinary value for healthcare providers, family members, and all of those who are interested in helping our newest veterans.
	Mary D. Moller, DNP, ARNP, PMHCNS-BC, CPRP, President-Elect of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association; Director of the Psychiatric Nursing Master's Program at Yale University in New Haven, CT No educational program provides a better window into the private valor of the American soldier. Another Kind of Valor allows all who love and enjoy the freedoms secured by members of our military a personal tour of the sometimes-devastating effects of war on life, love, work, and the camaraderie shared with other soldiers. From the deep pit of suicide to unbridled hope, AKOV takes the viewer to a new level of understanding of the military experience. Another Kind of Valor is the most accurate resource to date to assist in understanding the complexities of the war experience from all perspectives: the soldier, the family, employers, friends, and fellow soldiers. From suicide, to drug addiction, to receiving the Purple Heart, this program captures the essence of both internal and external valor and leaves the viewer with a profound respect for our military men and women. In Another Kind of Valor Dan E. Weisburd captures the extraordinary complexities of war affecting all facets of a soldier's life. Personal testimonies of experiences during deployment, as well as both pre and post-deployment, bring to our collective awareness the effects of war on the intimate relationships involving family, work, school, friends, fellow soldiers, and veterans. The nine vignettes poignantly demonstrate what valor is truly about — the valor that is hidden and sacred —the valor that needs to be understood and shared by all who love and enjoy the freedoms secured by members of our military.
	Valvincent Reyes, Lt. Colonel and Medical Company Commander in the Army Reserves deployed at Bagram Air Force Base, Afghanistan in 2002, is now on the faculty of the USC School of Social Work. A retired 20-year Army veteran whose father survived the Bataan Death March, Colonel Reyes was also the principal military advisor for the production of Another Kind of Valor and its learning CD. Another Kind of Valor accurately depicts the difficulties our returning veterans have as they struggle with the ravages of PTSD. Director Weisburd and his improvising cast achieve a high standard of authenticity of military heritage, culture, uniform, customs and courtesies in each scene. This dedication to military accuracy in every scene confirms the traumatic origins of each veteran's internal struggle with both stress reactions in the war zone, and emotional difficulties they face readjusting back home with family, work and daily life itself. Valor's credible portrayal of war zone experiences I believe can lead to greater understanding of trauma and ultimately, more effective and compassionate readjustment services for both veterans and their loved ones.
	Maureen Robles, RN, MN, works for Orange County, CA, Health Care Agency/Behavioral Health Services as the Veterans' Services Coordinator. She is also an Army Nurse Colonel in the Reserves and has served in the military for 23 years, both as a combat zone veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm, and as Chief Nurse of an Army Combat Support Hospital (CSH) as well as an Acting CSH Commander. As an Army Nurse having served in the Active Reserve for more than two decades, and in the Saudi Arabia/Gulf War combat theater in 1991, you have to know I was a cynic who did not expect to be impressed with Another Kind of Valor. However, when I first sat through the nine episode, six hour series of Valor vignettes my mind changed rapidly. What an unbelievably valuable tool. I have since seen many of the vignettes over and over again. The vets and actors who played the parts improvised so well I felt I was back there beside them, facing the unknown. It was obviously a work of the heart. My thanks to all who created Valor. Their passion for our veterans and the military families rings true, and strong and clear.
	Paul Sullivan, Executive Director of Veterans for Common Sense, Washington, DC I just watched Another Kind of Valor and am much overwhelmed. Kudos to you and the experts you retained to complete this project. As a Gulf War combat veteran with PTSD, I think the Valor project is exceptionally poignant and worthy of distribution to VA staff and the public for informational purposes and to de-stigmatize PTSD. The sooner we address the PTSD issue with facts, compassion, and resources, then the more we can mitigate the serious, even fatal, adverse consequences of serving in war. The timing of this documentary could not be better. Of the 1.8 million service members deployed to the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, approximately 20 percent, or 360,000, are expected to return home with PTSD. In fact, as of September 2008, VA was already treating more than 100,000 recent combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD.
	Gene Tinelli, MD, PhD, Addiction and Trauma Psychiatrist at VAMC Syracuse, NY and Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Upstate Medical University, SUNY. He served 11 years in the U.S Navy and was Commander, Medical Corps from 1976-1984. The spectrum of issues in Another Kind Of Valor is excellent and the production values are very good. I think many of the vignettes would be a good introduction to an audience naïve to the issues involved in combat stress injuries (PTSD). The issues of domestic violence and military sexual assault need to be seen/heard by a larger audience and are good jumping-off places for group discussion. However, maybe I'm too jaundiced, being an active duty military psychiatrist and treating combat veterans for decades, but the vignettes are not nearly gritty enough for me to reflect the suffering and pathos of veterans and their families. We tell current combat veterans to go to the VAs, get help and medications so that they can quietly fit back into society, but keep your mouth shut about the horrors of war and how it changes people's character in so many ways. God forbid we expose our society to the real truths. It might disturb their vision of reality TV and the “good life.”
	Phyllis Vine, Executive Editor, MIWatch December 18, 2008 The failure to anticipate mental health needs of vets has led to public outrage. Director-Producer Dan E. Weisburd released Another Kind of Valor a docudrama with a rich set of resources that communities can use to help veterans and families who struggle. With mountains of evidence about the cavernous gaps in meeting the health needs of vets, it would be surprising if the next Congress failed to fund essential programs. Before deciding what action to take, elected officials should be required to see Another Kind of Valor. Only after viewing the consequences of Afghanistan and Iraq for soldiers, their families, and communities, should Congress vote. Weisburd calls the nine-vignette docudrama a “learning system” about war and survival. Some of the vignettes are bleak, pointing to suicide, rape, failed marriages, abusive relations and abandoned children. Others are more hopeful, showing how the right mix of courage, grit and support can launch a turn around — sometimes.
Another Kind of Valor: A Dan E. Weisburd Production, in association with the California Institute for Mental Health.