In Their Boots

You can argue the merits or demerits of American imperialism, but there’s no questioning that the efforts of the American military throughout the world do, to some degree, enable the prosperity and freedom that’s often taken for granted in this country. 

I, for one, don’t often enough consider the tremendous sacrifices made by military families nor the profound impact that the the experiences of war have on our society in general.  In Their Boots, which launched yesterday, tells complicated stories with refreshing simplicity.

The website, funded by a grant from the Iraq Afghanistan Deployment Impact fund (IADIF) and produced by Brave New Foundation

, is centered around a weekly series called “Real Story” which describes “dramatic and emotional” moments in the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan service men and women. The website also includes live discussion with the people featured in “Real Story” as well as issues and analysis for service men an women. 

It’s a community and place of healing for those that have endured the hardships of war, but it’s also humbling media for those of us that reap the benefits of their sacrifices.