"There is a very stark line between before boot camp and after boot camp," a veteran recalls. As recruits take the oath to serve, they leave the civilian world to become a soldier, sailor, marine, airman or woman. This is the start of their transformation. Narrated by TV host and former Marine Drew Carey.
Military life shapes service men and women in profound and unexpected ways. A young Coast Guard recruit who helped ferry soldiers to fight and die on D-Day. A pilot based in Nevada who remotely guided bomber drones over Afghanistan. A young Marine who rose to become the first Latina general. Narrated by Senator Tammy Duckworth, Iraq War veteran (Army) and Purple Heart recipient.
The road back to civilian life can be uncertain. For some, there were ticker tape parades; for others, protests, anger and silence. Some veterans recall the confidence they brought home, while others remember thinking, "What am I going to do now?" Narrated by actor Wes Studi, Vietnam War veteran (National Guard) and Native American (Cherokee) activist.
"Those who went into the service and those who did not, we are two different realities," a veteran decides. But there are differences from vet to vet, too. Reflecting on their service, veterans ask how they and civilians can move America forward together. Narrated by J.R. Martinez, Army veteran, actor and motivational speaker.
