Educational Media Reviews Online

The military draft ended in the U.S. nearly fifty years ago, and ever since, the armed forces have been made up of volunteers. Those who had more options in life could choose not to serve in the military. For many, though, enlisting was the best (perhaps only) option for them. Three Tours looks at three of these soldiers who volunteered, their experiences in the military, and their troubles adjusting to civilian life.

The three tell their own stories, supplemented by comments from family members. Ramon Mejia joined the Marines because he wanted to support his new family. Ryan Holleran was a high school dropout who was questioning his sexuality. He joined the Army and chose an infantry assignment, even though he qualified for technical jobs that would have kept him at a desk. And Nicole Goodwin joined the Army to escape a bad family situation and the crack epidemic devastating her neighborhood. All soon found themselves fighting in Iraq after the attacks of September 11.

In Iraq, Ryan said he was under fire every day. Nicole witnessed abuses of Iraqi prisoners. Ramon traveled through Iraq re-supplying combat units, and found his views on Iraqis, Islam, and the war undergoing profound change.

All three came back with post-traumatic stress disorder that affected their adjustment to civilian life. Ramon tried to deal with his anger by drinking with his buddies and ignoring his family. Ryan would not go out of his apartment for weeks at a time. Nicole's depression, coupled with homelessness, caused her to lose custody of her daughter.

Writing poetry about their experiences and participating in Iraqi Veterans Against the War have provided some solace, but each of the three knows it's still a struggle not to give in to their anger and depression. The video ends with this shocking statistic: Every day, 22 veterans commit suicide.

At only 49 minutes, Three Tours can't go in-depth on each of the stories, which could have warranted a separate video. But it does provide an introduction to the problems veterans face. This video is recommended for both academic and public libraries.

Awards:
The James Aronson Award for Social Justice Journalism, 2017

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