Casey Conklin: Ranger Battalion

Maria Zoe Dunning is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and gay rights activist. She is known for being the only openly gay person remaining on active duty following a series of lawsuits against the U.S. Military and the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy during the 1990s. This is her story.

Like many other young men of his generation, after Pearl Harbor was attacked, Aldo Giannini joined the Marines with little idea of what lay ahead. After training, he was quickly deployed overseas and fought in the bloody Battle of Tarawa, surviving with a shrapnel injury and the haunting memory of witnessing the loss of 3,250 U.S. lives. He went on to fight in other battles and returned home after 3 intense years of service. Nearly eight decades later, he still questions if winning the island was worth the price.

Scott Castle served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years. While assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division he served three combat tours in Iraq, including the First and Second Battles of Fallujah.

John Baumhackl recalls the early days of the Vietnam War when more and more troops were being sent into combat every month. In 1968, John's number came up and he was drafted into the conflict. Buying a camera at his company store before shipping off, he captured many battles while in a helicopter. John was near the front lines when President Nixon made the controversial decision to push into Cambodia. In John's view, this saved American lives.

Julie Mendez was a 17 year old teenager when she saw the "be all that you can be" Army recruiting messaging and decided to enlist. Her life would change forever when she was deployed to serve in the Iraq War. Her experiences changed her and she returned home to face feelings of isolation and depression. Always a creative person, Julie turned to art to help her process her experiences and begin to heal her PTSD.

Bobby served in the United States Army for 10 years in a Criminal Investigation Division (CID) unit. During that time, he was deployed once to Iraq in September 2006, where he developed PTSD.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier explains her approach to protecting victims of sexual assault within the military. Her goal is to take prosecuting powers out of the inner ranks and put it into the hands of properly trained detectives.

Michael Blackwell entered the United States Navy on Veteran's Day, 2002 and served for more than nine years. While stationed with the now-disestablished Fleet Combat Camera Group Pacific, he served alongside United States Army 5th and 10th group Special Forces in Iraq.

The story of Vietnam War veteran Tim Kochis, who earned a Purple Heart after being wounded in action. Kochis is a world-renowned wealth manager living in San Francisco, California. He provides some key lessons which led to his success and expresses his appreciation for the Veteran's Administration and their support.