'In Their Boots' documentary series looks at the impact of war

The recent shootings at the Army base at Fort Hood, Texas raise many questions about the psychological effect of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq on soldiers. That's also the focus of the new documentary series "In Their Boots."

Every episode features a documentary about how America’s servicemen and women, their families, and our communities have been profoundly changed by our nation's military campaigns. Shot on location throughout the country, these stories stress the courage of our participants, and the valor of the people and organizations that help our heroes on their journey.

Executive Producer Richard Ray Perez talks about the experience of interviewing soldiers and their families. Though many of these stories are incredibly sad, there are also uplifting tales... including one involving a soldier from Los Angeles and his immigrant wife.

Next week, "In Their Boots" will launch a campaign aimed at getting veterans to tell their own stories on film. They'll commission and cover the production cost for five Iraq and Afghanistan (OIF and OEF) Veterans and service members to produce their own documentaries. The project will be a historical opportunity to capture the impact the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have had on veterans, and their loved ones, as well as communicate experiences that may define a new generation of veterans.

Five participants will be commissioned and will attend a “Filmmakers Bootcamp”, to refine their film skills with a professional production team, and will receive a stipend for their work. The documentaries produced will be non-partisan a non-ideological in nature. All documentaries will be screened publicly.