Tune in Tuesday night for this three-part series that explores why some veterans reintegrate back into society after deployment and some struggle.
Wes Moore – Executive Producer and Host Wes Moore was a paratrooper and Captain in the United States Army, serving a combat tour of duty in Afghanistan with the 1st Brigade of the 82nd Airborne Division. He was involved in managing the American strategic support plan for the Afghan Reconciliation Program, and analyzed the rise and ramifications of radical Islamist in the Western Hemisphere.
In this series, Wes Moore’s journey takes him into the personal lives of different soldiers as they attempt to reintegrate back into society, establish new identities, and – for many – find a new mission.
Part 1 - Coming Back with Wes Moore “Coming Back” (8:00 pm)
Wes’ journey begins with Bonnie Collins, the mother of Brian Collins, one of his oldest friends and a fellow officer. Last year, after getting married and beginning a new career, Brian abruptly took his own life. The questions surrounding this tragedy initiate Wes’ desire to learn more about why some can get on with their lives, while some cannot.
Part 2 - Coming Back with Wes Moore “Fitting In”(9:00 pm)
Explore the notion of identity, how it’s altered during deployment and altered again on return home. Wes explores the experience of coming back fundamentally changed by the experience of war, and the difficulty of fitting back in. Can you create a new life in your old world? Meet on of the vets, Bobby Henline. So badly burned, his family relocated to San Antonio, Texas, to be near him at Brooke Army Medical Center. Bobby was so seriously disfigured that he was unrecognizable to his family, and he used humor to ease the discomfort that he sensed from his doctors. Eventually he found himself on stage as a stand-up comedian.
Part 3 - Coming Back with Wes Moore “Moving Forward” (10:00 pm)
The final episode explores the drive veterans often have of finding a new mission, to contribute, to be part of something bigger than themselves. For example, an accomplished freshman Congresswoman, Iraq war veteran and double amputee, Tammy Duckworth made a name for herself in a recent congressional hearing. She took on a government contractor who used the football injury he sustained when playing for a military prep school as a means of obtaining a $500K IRS contract. It was a “have you no shame” moment that went viral. Tammy offers a perspective on returning veterans and their future.
