An investigation into the failed mental health policies within the US military and the deadly consequences to the troops.
Thank You For Your Service tackles the mental health crisis in the military and addresses specific solutions to reducing stigma both within the military and within the larger culture. We also tell the story of incredibly resilient veterans whose struggles and triumphs are chronicled in the film. With interviews from the leaders of our military and our government, as well as mental health professionals, non-profit leaders and veterans and their families.
Thank You for Your Service chronicles mental health amongst U.S. military veterans. The film interweaves the stories of four struggling Iraq War veterans with candid interviews of top military and civilian leaders. Among the interviewees are Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, Generals David Petraeus and Loree Sutton, Sebastian Junger, Nicholas Kristof, Dexter Filkins, General Peter Chiarelli, Gary Sinise, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, Senator Patty Murray, Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Colonels Larry Wilkerson and Dave Sutherland.for every 1 soldier killed in battle, 25 veterans take their own lives.Called "gut-wrenching" and "important" by The New York Times, the film is an examination of failed mental health policy in the U.S. military. The film argues the creation of a Behavioral Health Corps is necessary to ensure accountability in the military chain of command toward mental health
Kenny Toone was in the 2003 invasion of Baghdad. He and his platoon was in the line of fire when US army entered the city, while Saddam was still in power. Kenny saw his men shot down and in distress under fire. Under stress, his unit fired on a vehicle, which later turned out to be unarmed civilians and kids. Soon, Kenny started having nightmares of him shooting a car coming at him and having shot dead his own family. He could not access mental health help due to the stigma associated to it. If you accessed a psychiatrist, you lose your clearance and if you lose clearance, your career is over.To top it off, Kenny is a devout catholic and war violence went directly against the basis tenants of the bible. Kenny was torn apart mentally, as he came back from Iraq.
Mu Lobello served with Kenny in Iraq. He was involved in the skirmish that led to civilian deaths. He read an article by Dexter Filkins, a US journalist, who told the story from the victims point of view. That hit Lobello very hard. He continues his investigation online and figures out that a girl of the family, by the name of Nora, survived and was seen by Dexter in an Iraqi hospital.
Paul Straub spent 4 yrs in Iraq and was stationed near Fallujah. He saw his platoon men shot dead in combat and he was powerless to save them. Paul returned home to be detached from his family. He questioned his very survival, when his friends were not with him. Paul wont talk to anyone and just wanted to escape. His wife divorced him. He questions the military for not helping him more.
The military makes seeing a shrink mandatory after combat to break down the stigma around it. But there weren't enough mental health pros around to matter. Dr Mark Russell was deployed to the Okinawa base in Japan and he was the only certified shrink for 6000 troops. It was common for him to get calls from distress soldiers, but due to limited resources he simply could not help them. He wrote several papers up the chain of command for more doctors, with no response, ever.
Mayor Rudy Gulliani talks about troops being asked to do multiple tours of extended duty as the most unfair form of draft in the history of the USA.Sgt William Rodrguez served for 6 yrs in Operation freedom. Some shrinks compared this situation to being akin to be in a POW camp in WWII. All the VA did was to issue pills to patients. They saw a 29% increase in patients, but a 259% increase in prescriptions. As soon as this is defined as a medical issue, it is easy to dismiss. The VA had too much wait times for mental health services. The head of the VA kept saying "everything is under control".If a veteran commits suicide 121 days after discharge, its not even counted in military stats. Kenny tried to commit suicide 9 yrs after he was discharged. There is still no mental health corps in the US armed forces. The professionals are split across various branches of the armed forces, and need to be brought under the umbrella of the Beh health Corps.
Lu Lobello tracks down Nora and sends her a Facebook video with no response. he then contacts Dexter Filkins and asks for his help to contact Nora and her remaining family. They think the family is living in California. Dexter sets up the meeting and Lu just cries after seeing Nora and her mother. The mother asks Lu if he feels better after all the killing. Lu has no answer. Nora finally forgives Lu.
Where the VA fails, the non profits step in to provide the mental health care and services for returning soldiers. 2.7 MM Americans served in Iraq and Afghanistan. $1 Tr is budget between VA, DoD and Pentagon. The Vietnam generation lost 150 K men to suicide. only 54K died in combat. VA reports 22 veteran deaths daily.
