This Is Deadlier Than Combat For America's Veterans

Описание: War stories are easy to tell. There’s action, adventure, and good vs evil. For most Veterans their service isn’t defined or explained by their war stories. For most Veterans the story that is far most difficult to write...and to live...is the story they have to write themselves.

In this episode, I sat down with Steven Grayhm, writer and director of Sheepdog, a film dedicated to telling the most difficult story of our Veterans. The story of what happens to us, our families, our friends, and those around us when the war stories fade, reality sets in, and the hard work must actually begin.

Steven explains his 14 year journey to make Sheepdog, the thousands of hours he spent with Veterans of all walks of life, his embedment at VA hospitals across the country, and the reality of independent filmmaking; a blue collar process rooted in grit before the red carpet, where every dollar is raised face to face and every decision carries weight.

The film confronts veteran suicide honestly while reinforcing a simple truth. Ending your life does not end the pain. It ends the possibility of it ever getting better.

What drove Sheepdog was not an interest in war, but a responsibility to understand what happens after it. Steven and his team studied the realities of trauma, addiction, brain injury, generational differences between Vietnam and post 9/11 service members, and the long shadow that war can cast over identity and purpose. They went where the conversations were uncomfortable, where the answers were not clean, and where trust had to be earned. The result is a film that focuses not on combat, but on the war within.

Veterans are not victims. Sheepdog recognizes that service members volunteered, took risk, and earned something that does not disappear when the uniform comes off. A Veteran’s perspective matters. Trauma exists, but it does not eliminate the responsibility of Veterans to continue their personal and professional growth post service.

Sheepdog is a story about redefining purpose, about post traumatic growth, and about the courage required to take the first step forward when the path is unclear. It reflects the reality that transition is not a checklist, that no two experiences are the same, and that finding the right sense of mission after service is critical.

Special thanks to Steven and the Sheepdog team for their tireless effort in making this film.

Meet The Guest:
-Writer and Director of Sheepdog
-Stars as Calvin Cole
-Spent 14 years with Veterans of all walks of life to make Sheepdog

Topics Discussed:
-Addressing the main themes of Sheepdog
-Gaining perspective
-Emphasizing Veteran Suicide

Highlights:
00:00 Introduction
01:27 Welcome to the Jedburgh Podcast
02:42 Why Make Sheepdog?
07:30 Becoming an Expert
12:34 Addressing Generational Differences
16:35 The Idea of Perspective
24:41 Losing Morality from War
33:38 Emphasizing Veteran Suicide
42:58 VA Resources
52:32 Modern-Day Sweat Lodge
1:07:19 Was It All for Nothing?
1:13:01 Hope for Sheepdog

Quotes:
“The hardest thing I ever have done wasn’t to become a Green Beret, it was to not be a Green Beret.”
“We were very aware that we had bit off more than we could chew.”
“What I saw was the unsung heroes.”
“It’s not one size fits all.”
“The number one thing that I took away from serving in the military is perspective.”
“They train you so well to do that job that you never really understand what the result of that job actually looks like.”
“I said “Whatever happens on the other side of this, I’m going to leave it there.”
“One of the most challenging things in this journey of Sheepdog was getting it right.”
“The warrior doesn’t get to choose the war they go into.”
“It haunted me in my nightmares for years that crack in the sheep pen wall.”

The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are an official program of The Green Beret Foundation.

Learn more on The Jedburgh Podcast Website. Subscribe to us and follow @jedburghpodcast on all social media. Watch the full video versions on YouTube.

The opinions presented on the The Jedburgh Podcast and the Jedburgh Media Channel are the opinions of our guests and creator and host Fran Racioppi. They do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Green Beret Foundation and the Green Beret Foundation assumes no liability for their accuracy; nor does Green Beret Foundation endorse any political candidate or any political party.

The Jedburgh Podcast Media Links:
Website: https://greenberetfoundation.org/the-...
Podcast Platforms: https://pod.link/1558608802
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7cjwLO3...
Instagram:   / jedburghpodcast  
LinkedIn:   / the-jedburgh-podcast  
X:   / jedburghpodcast  
Facebook:   / jedburghpodcast  
Email: [email protected]