Nebraskans Before the Battle

Soldiers and Families Prepare for War

Air Date: 09/20/2010

How do Nebraska Army National Guard soldiers, and their loved ones, “train” for war? “Nebraskans Before the Battle: Soldiers and Families Prepare for War” follows soldiers and families as they get ready for deployment to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Producer/reporter Mike Tobias and videographer/editor Ray Meints traveled to Camp Guernsey, Wyo., to spend several days embedded with hundreds of Nebraska soldiers during “theatre immersion” training. Here they would live and work in an environment created to replicate a war zone, complete with mock villages, forward operating bases and role players portraying civilians, insurgents and government leaders.

You’ll see what life is like for soldiers during deployment, and the state-of-the-art technology used to help them train.
“Before the Battle” also takes you inside the battle against the other challenges soldiers and loved ones face during deployment – mental health issues, broken relationships and an increasing number of Army National Guard suicides.

You learn how the National Guard is changing the way it prepares for these aspects of deployment, and how one soldier and his wife are preparing for his mission to Afghanistan.

Video Extras