In the time it takes for you to watch ‘Thank You for Your Service,’ one American veteran will likely have taken his or her own life.
Tom Donahue’s new documentary features many more appalling statistics in order to elucidate the mental health crisis facing our nation’s veterans. The film chronicles the stories of four Iraqi War veterans grappling with various manifestations of war trauma, and intercuts them with interviews featuring military and civilian leaders, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates, General David Petraeus, and Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Thank You for Your Service is a film as emotional as it is pertinent in our post-Iraq War era. The four veterans the documentary follows each recount stories of the horrible things that they have seen and done in Iraq, and how, as a result, they have returned home as mere fragments of the people they once were. But there are millions of veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan, and each and every one of them bears a tremendous burden for us. And the future is uncertain; who is to say when the next war will break out? That is why it is imperative to reform both the way in which the Department of Defense addresses mental illness, and the stigma surrounding mental illness in military culture, as well as society in general.
Where the film really shines is in proposing potential solutions, rather than just heralding doom. The documentary highlights multiple non-profits focused on helping veterans readjust to society, and suggests that some of these programs should be explored on the national level. In addition, the film strongly argues for the consolidation of various behavioral health divisions in the military into a behavioral health corps, which would facilitate communication and cooperation among the fragmented branches. Finally, Thank You for Your Service addresses the stigma surrounding mental illness by suggesting that mental health checkups should be made mandatory for every soldier, just like physical checkups. If everyone, from private to sergeant, was required to undergo a mental health evaluation, then no one would be singled out and face judgement from their peers. These messages of hope show that mental illness in the military can be combated, and this fact helps balance out the dark tone of the documentary. Thank You for Your Service is a film that everyone should see.
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