"Silent Partners" Premiere in Los Angeles

Please join us for a special Los Angeles screening of "Silent Partners" presented by Lt. Daniel Choi. Event details are below.

“Silent Partners,” the fourth episode in the IN THEIR BOOTS series, takes an intimate look into the lives of the same sex partners of active duty service members and the unexpected consequences of love, commitment and patriotism while our nation is at war.

Thursday, July 16, 2009
Backstage Theater at Sony Pictures Studios
10202 W. Washington Blvd
Culver City, CA 90232
(Complimentary on-site parking, enter at Madison Gate)

7PM - Reception
8PM - Screening

Q&A session to immediately follow screening
This exclusive event is FREE.
Refreshments will be served

RSVPs are REQUIRED.

Sponsored by: Knights Out, Servicemembers United, Equality California, HRC, API Equality-LA, Civil Rights Front, Fund for Reunion/Princeton BTGALA, United States Veterans Artists’ Alliance, Equal Roots Coalition, Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, and American Legion Post 448.

Vets for Hire in Norfolk, VA

If you happen to be in the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area, be sure to stop by the First Annual Hampton Roads Veterans Job Fair today (7/2/09) at VFW Post 4809, 5728 Bartee Street, Norfolk, VA from 12:00PM to 5:00 PM.

Hosted by Congressman Glen Nye (VA-02), the job fair will bring together local employers, job counselors, and veterans who are looking for work. Twenty-four local employers – including BAE Systems, Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Farm Fresh, and the cities of Virginia Beach and Hampton – have volunteered to take part in the fair to meet with prospective employees.

Also, at 3:00 PM, catch a free screening of "Vets for Hire" that tells the story of three veterans struggling to find work after leaving the military. Our very own Amanda Spain will be there to answer questions about the episode and IN THEIR BOOTS. How exciting!

I am pleased to announce an encore screening of Fractured Minds, the second episode of In Their Boots, Season II. Fractured Minds, the story of four soldiers who navigate the difficult path to recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI), will screen in Washington, DC on Thursday morning at the Mayflower Hotel from 9:45 until 10:30 AM.

Please note, If you can't attend the screening, you can see Fractured Minds on our website: www.InTheirBoots.com

This week, dozens of veterans' organizations are gathering in Washington, DC for the Coalition for Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans (CIAV) conference. Held at DC's famous Mayflower Hotel, the conference includes a day of panels and events that are open to the public on Thursday, May 7th. If you are in the DC area, and would like to attend the screening or any of the other events, please email Megan at mklein@stp-sf.org.

Here is the schedule:

MORNING GENERAL SESSION:

9:00AM: COMMUNITIES IN ACTION
Presentations by Disabled American Veterans, Fisher House, and Zero to Three

9:45AM: BRAVE NEW FOUNDATION PRESENTS IN THEIR BOOTS, A GROUNDBREAKING DOCUMENTARY SERIES
Profile of Project Victory's extraordinary Traumatic Brain Injury Treatment Center

10:30AM: VETERANS PANEL

11:30AM: COMMUNITIES IN ACTION
Presentations by Jacob's Light Foundation and Air Compassion for Veterans

12:00PM-1:00PM: BREAK FOR LUNCH (NOT PROVIDED)


AFTERNOON PANELS:
1:00PM – 2:20PM

OUTREACH AND SUPPORT FOR MILITARY CHILDREN
National Military Family Association, Our Military Kids, United Through Reading
The panelists speak about the burden of deployment and resources for military children.

SUICIDE IN THE MILITARY: CARING FOR THE SURVIVING FAMILIES
Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
This panel discusses how the cost of war is taking a toll on military families.

PUBLIC, PRIVATE, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS
Comfort for America's Uniformed Services, Sesame Workshop, USA Cares, Veteran Homestead
This panel discusses collaborative efforts between varying entities strengthen the system of care and support for those who serve.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS, TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY, AND PAIN
American Pain Foundation, Coming Home Project, ONE Freedom, The Pathway Home
This panel addresses the importance of addressing the physical as well as emotional wounds of combat.

2:40PM – 4:00PM

PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTHCARE: ACCESS TO SERVICES AND AMPLIFYING NEEDS
American Pain Foundation, California National Guard, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
This panel speaks about the importance of quality treatment and access to services for service members and veterans.

PEER SUPPORT: HELPING EACH OTHER FIND A WAY HOME
California National Guard, Vets4Vets, Veterans Village of San Diego
Panelists will discuss how to develop a wellness model and integrate peer support into ongoing services and programs.

ECONOMIC WELFARE: ACCESS TO BENEFITS, HOUSING AND EMPLOYMENT
Swords to Plowshares, New Directions, National Veterans Legal Services Program
Panelists will address housing, access to VA compensation, legal services, and employment and training programs.

ENGAGING THE MEDIA: A LOOK AT COVERAGE OF THE WAR AND WHERE WE GO NEXT
Brave New Foundation, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors
This panel will discuss recognizing how the stories of the Iraq and Afghanistan are shaped.

It's official: Houston Loves IN THEIR BOOTS

Amanda Spain, the producer of our latest film "Fractured Minds," was in Houston for a special premiere screening Wednesday evening. The topic of the film is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The Department of Defense estimates as many as 360,000 men and women in uniform will come home with a TBI, and we are still struggling to understand the causes, symptoms, and treatments for this complicated condition.

Fractured Minds follows veterans through their treatment in the Houston-based Project Victory Program, a collaborative effort by TIRR Foundation and TIRR Memorial Hermann which helps wounded service members recover and successfully integrate back into the community. The film features four veterans living with TBI, including Claudia’s efforts to maintain her relationship with the daughter she doesn’t remember giving birth to, Daniel’s dedication to retrain his brain to compute math problems that used to come easy to him, Mark’s battle to conquer his injury-induced stuttering, and Bob’s drive to become a motivational speaker after surviving a life-threatening brain injury in Iraq. Through these personal stories of struggle and triumph, we begin to understand the diversity and complexity of TBI in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

The event was a hit for all who attended, and with a reporter from the Houston Chronicle in attendance, many people in Texas will take some time to reflect on what it is to live with a Traumatic Brain Injury in the coming weeks. That is exactly what our tour aims to do.

Houston, TX - Here we come

I am pleased to announce that the great folks at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston have agreed to host ITB for the second stop on our national tour. On the 22nd of April, at 6:00 PM, the world premiere screening of the latest ITB film, Fractured Minds will take place. The screening will be at the Wilson Turner Auditorium in the Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital, Medical Plaza 1 at 7600 Beechnut Street, in Houston.

Fractured Minds follows veterans through their treatment at Houston-based Project Victory, one of the country’s leading treatment programs for mild to moderate traumatic brain injuries (TBI). The film features four veterans living with TBI, including Claudia’s efforts to maintain her relationship with the daughter she doesn’t remember giving birth to, Daniel’s dedication to retrain his brain to compute math problems that used to come easy to him, Mark’s battle to conquer his injury-induced stuttering, and Bob’s drive to become a motivational speaker after surviving a life-threatening brain injury in Iraq. Through these personal stories of struggle and triumph, we begin to understand the diversity and complexity of TBI in veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

Amanda Spain, the producer of Fractured Minds will be in attandence at the event, and she'd love to meet any ITB fans in attendance. Here is a sneak peek at Fractured Minds.



If you will be in Houston and would like to attend, please drop me a line at press@intheirboots.com.

'Broken Promise' in San Francisco

On Saturday, March 21st, we launched the IN THEIR BOOTS On the Road National Tour. The kickoff was the world premiere screening of our latest film, Broken Promise, at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco, California.

We had a crowd of more than 100 people and many leaders from the veteran's community in Northern California were in attendance including Amy Fairweather the Director of Swords to Plowshares, LTC David Rabb, who is an officer who coordinates outreach to recently separated service members to help ensure they are connected with services, Joseph Babrow, Director of the Coming Home Project, Kerri Childress, with the Palo Alto VA's public affairs office, Rebecca Dominy, also with the VA, and of course, Fred Gusman, the Founder and Director of The Pathway Home.

On the plane on the way there, I read a Rand Corporation study on PTSD, Depression and Traumatic Brain Injury which contained the following sats: 1.64 million men and women have deployed to Iraq and/or Afghanistan since the beginning of the wars in those countries. An estimated 300,000 service members struggle with PTSD, many of them still deployed. 320,000 likely have a TBI. I wrote another blog for the Huffington Post on these disturbing numbers.

The purpose of the tour is to raise awareness about the challenges service members and their families face as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan continue. The Daughters of the American Revolution turned out for the event and are going to help us spread the word about the issues raised in Broken Promise by making the event the topic of a special broadcast of a show they produce.

A French documentary film crew was also on the scene, and for a while, there were three cameras rolling in front of the Roxie before the film. This picture shows ITB Executive Producer Rick Perez mid interview, as Fred Gusman fields questions in the background.

Broken Promise contains criticism of the VA from veterans in Mr. Gusman's program so we invited representatives from the VA to speak to the crowd about what the VA is doing and has done to address some of the criticisms in film. They are doing a lot. ITB is going to be filming a supplemental clip from the VA so that everyone can learn about their efforts. One thing I want to mention now however, is that the VA has appointed an OEF/OIF (Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom) program manager in each of its hospitals. Now veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have a point person who can assist them directly and make sure that they are receiving the quality care they have earned.

So, with San Francisco behind us, we set our sights on Houston where we are working with Project Victory and the Memorial Herman Hospital to build our second tour stop event, the world premiere of our new film on the signature wound of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, Traumatic Brain Injury.