After Action

Over 40% of service members have children. When service before self is the military mantra, the family’s needs often come second to Uncle Sam. Stacy Pearsall, retired Air Force Staff Sergeant, sits down with Bill Brokop, Hannah Merchant and Coco Gunther, three veterans who balanced the needs of a nation with the needs of the family during and After Action.

In combat, host Stacy Pearsall witnessed chaplains providing comfort to the wounded as they transitioned from this life to the next. Pearsall, retired Air Force Staff Sergeant, sits down with Reverend Addison Burgess, Imam Khalid Shabazz and Rabbi Julie Schwartz, three chaplains who committed their lives to God and Country during and After Action.

For women veterans, parking in designated spaces for veterans comes with the risk of being confronted by angry bystanders who assume they aren’t veterans. Stacy Pearsall, retired Air Force Staff Sergeant, sits down with Bambi Bullard, Tonya Savice and Ashley Brokop, three veterans who know what it’s like to feel invisible.

When a family loses a military member during service, they become known as a Gold Star Family. Host Stacy Pearsall’s family did in 1944, 1945, and again in 1969. Pearsall, retired Air Force Staff Sergeant, sits down with Shanon Duffy, Nathaniel Lee and Joe LaPointe, three veterans who were compelled to serve after they became Gold Star survivors.

While “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” was repealed, its legacy reverberates today - depriving some veterans of their full benefits. And though service members now serve openly, some fear future legislation or executive orders may negatively impact their service. Host and veteran Stacy Pearsall speaks with James Bond, Tammy Smith and Jason Vero, three veterans who know what it means to serve with pride.

The average American associates casualties with bombs and bullets, but there are veterans who have died and those who are dying from combat, years and decades after they return home from war. Stacy Pearsall, retired Air Force Staff Sergeant, sits down with Elba Barr, Ron Cherry and Bobby Tyner, three veterans who are on the frontlines battling the silent killers, After Action.

Drums, a brush stroke, and dance can artfully express the emotions that veterans cannot express in words. As a veteran photographer, host Stacy Pearsall’s camera became essential to her healing. Pearsall, retired Air Force Staff Sergeant, sits down with Roman Baca, Trevor Meyer and Maria Salazar, three veterans who are helping their peers find their voices and their peace through the arts.