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2-time Oscar winner presents film at Air Force Week

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Ben Gonzales
  • Air Force News Agency
PHILADELPHIA (AFPN) --  Military medicine and wounded warriors took center stage in the "Fighting for Life" documentary produced by Terry Sanders shown during Air Force Week in Philadelphia May 28 at the Levitt Auditorium of the University of the Arts here.

Directed by two-time Academy Award winner Terry Sanders and presented to hundreds of community leaders and Airmen, the film documents today's military medical professionals and the challenges of saving lives every day in the war zone as well as the learning process of becoming doctors for the military.

The opening sequence silenced the audience as "Fighting for Life" shows the harsh realization of all the behind the scenes efforts of medics to save wounded warriors in the battle zone.

"Nothing was staged. Nothing was rehearsed. Everything was real and captured as it was happening," said Mr. Sanders, who has produced or directed more than 70 award-winning dramatic features, theatrical documentaries, television specials and portrait films. He also co-heads the American Film Foundation.

"The Air Force had a tremendous part of this film because we filmed at the Air Force hospital in Balad (Air Base in Iraq) and the whole way of caring for the wounded by moving them out of Iraq is a trademark of care in this war," he said. "The passion and dedication of everybody -- medics, doctors and nurses -- is what we were filming."

Mr. Sanders and his film crew worked more than three years on the film and followed the process of wounded warfighters as well as future doctors as they progress through the Uniformed Services University, which prepares scientists and health care practitioners for careers in service to the nation.

"This film is apolitical; neither left nor right," Mr. Sanders said. "The film captured life as it happened. I wanted to make a film to reach the people who are turned off by anything to do with the Iraq war. This is about human drama and the realities of what is happening."

What is happening is that Americans are fighting the war on terrorism and the business is dangerous. The Air Force Theater Hospital in Balad AB sees up to 10,000 patients a year making it one of America's busiest trauma centers. In the film, military medics explained they have treated up to 17 patients an hour.

Treating and caring the wounded is not discriminatory. In the war zone, the majority of patients are locals injured and American medics treat each patient with respect and without favoritism.

Saving lives sometimes requires moving patients to larger medical facilities. In past wars, battle-wounded troops would be treated and kept in field hospitals. "Fighting for Life" shows how aeromedical evacuations quickly transport causalities and how an American servicemember can be wounded in Iraq, initially treated and then taken to Landsthul Regional Medical Facility in Germany in as little as 11 hours.

The more than 300-member audience gave the director a standing ovation at the end of the film.

"We have 30,000 men and women that are medics in the Air Force," said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Byron C. Hepburn, the command surgeon for Air Mobility Command from Scott Air Force Base, Ill. "They are serving in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan and serving around the world.

"The film captured the spirit of the patients and also the courage of our men and women in uniform," said General Hepburn, who has served at a forward-deployed hospital during the war. "You see our theater hospitals doing tremendous work and you see our aeroevacuation team - pilots, loadmasters and aeromedical teams - doing incredible lifesaving efforts. It is a serious film and we can all reflect on the courage displayed here. It shows true service before self on the part of Soldiers wounded and on the part of men and women caring for them."

"I didn't expect to see so many tears in the theater," said Tech. Sgt. Steven McLane of the 305th Maintenance Operations Squadron from McGuire AFB, N.J. "It was a very moving film. It really opened my eyes. It is something every American needs to see."

"Fighting for Life" may be seen at movie theaters throughout the country at selected cities. For more information on the film, visit the American Film Foundation Web site.

The Air Force Week program is part of a proactive initiative to increase communication with the public. Air Force Week includes community visits and talks by Air Force officials, flight demonstration team performances and displays highlighting the Air Force men and women serving on the front lines. There will also be an Air Force Week Aug. 9 through 17 in Omaha, Neb., and from Nov. 14 through 21 in Los Angeles.