At its core “Over the Berm” is the story of Steve Andrews, a man who lost everything then sacrificed more to answer the call to action in a time of crisis when many others were running for cover.

THE TRUE EXPERIENCES OF SEVERAL MEN AND WOMEN WHO LIVED THROUGH THIS UNIQUE PERIOD OF BOTH AMERICAN AND WORLD HISTORY WILL BE WOVEN TOGETHER TO TELL THE LARGER TALE OF “Over the Berm”

SYNOPSIS:

“Over the Berm” is an expression from Operation Iraqi Freedom. From the safety of staging areas in Kuwait, U.S. troops entered enemy territory when they crossed the 120-mile long barrier that runs from Saudi Arabia to the Persian Gulf. It is 10-feet high, bordered by a deep trench and laced with electrified fences and concertina wire.

“Over the Berm” is the true story of several people whose lives were forever altered on 9/11. These are personal stories set against the huge canvas of an entire world that changed dramatically in a matter of minutes.

On September 10, 2001, STEVE ANDREWS was 30 and deeply satisfied with life. A successful businessman with an income well into 6 figures, he had a beautiful, loving wife, LAURA, and COLLIN – a happy healthy infant son. They were surrounded by loving family and devoted friends in Boston. And Steve was celebrating his promotion to corporate headquarters in New York’s World Trade Center.

When the towers fell on 9/11, Steve’s best friend was killed and his company was essentially wiped out. Driven by a deep need to do… something, Steve enlists in the U.S. Army and trains as a medic. He befriends BOBBY DANIELS who, like almost all of the other men, is 10 years his junior. Daniels is an easy-going farm boy from Georgia fulfilling his family’s tradition of service to his country.

Laura leaves the comfort and familiarity of Boston to follow Steve from Basic Training in Georgia to Advanced Training in Texas to assignment with the 3rd Armored Calvary at Fort Carson, Colorado. Five days before the unit deploys for their first tour in Iraq in March, 2003, Laura gives birth to their second child, MEAGAN. It will be 3 months before Laura gets even a 2-minute phone conversation with Steve.

The Urban Warfare that defines the conflict in Iraq is as much a shock to Andrews, Daniels and the other medics as it is to the Coalition Forces in general. It is unlike any war the U.S. Army has faced. There are no clear lines. No clear enemy. Medical vehicles are primary targets for the deadly RPG’s and IED’s the insurgents use to hamper, harass and devastate patrols in cities and villages throughout the country. The medics not only save lives under extraordinary circumstances, they are forced to into the role of “soldier medics” who must kill in order to survive.

And there is no handbook on how to deploy Forward Aid Stations in remote villages in guerilla warfare. Andrews and his fellow medics improvise under the guidance of the PA, their “Dad”, mentor and a former Delta Force soldier who transitioned to Physician’s Assistant in gratitude to the men who saved his life after serious wounds sustained on previous missions during his career in the army.

The challenges Andrews and company experience are further complicated by SERGEANT GARCIA, who demands things be done his way. The demons that drive Garcia inspire him to insidious acts, like sending a timid, young soldier to an extremely dangerous outpost with the firing pin removed from his weapon.

For Laura, life back in Colorado is every bit as challenging and chaotic. Overnight, Collin changes from a happy, healthy boy into a child given to frequent, inconsolable tantrums. Doctors say it is “just a phase” but Collin grows progressively worse instead of better. Alone, far from the comfort and help of friends and family, Laura develops a kind of hatred for the son she has loved so dearly as she also struggles with the needs of her infant daughter.

Laura’s life takes another big hit when her best friend SARA – who could always be counted on for comfort, support and understanding during their frequent phone conversations – is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Sara dies days before Laura can make arrangements to get back to Boston for a final visit.

Collin is finally diagnosed as profoundly autistic with the help of a woman Laura meets at a support group at Fort Carson. But Collin’s condition, coupled with the loss of Sara, the months between even short phone calls from Steve and a number of other challenges drive Laura toward paranoia, alcoholism and even suicidal ideations.

In Iraq, the men become proficient at keeping soldiers with missing limbs and other serious wounds alive long enough to transport them to hospital facilities in the larger cities. As soldiers have done for centuries, they create their own humor to alleviate the tension of 24-hour a day peril. Daniels falls in love with ABIGAIL, a medic they trained with who was assigned to a hospital unit in Baghdad’s Green Zone.

There is terrible loss in “Over the Berm” but also great joy and redemption. Soldiers learn to “embrace the suck” – the situation is bad but let’s deal with it. As importantly, “Over the Berm” is not in any way a political commentary on the situations and conditions that precipitated the invasion of Iraq nor an attempt to tell the complete story of 9/11 and its aftermath. Rather, “Over the Berm” is an honest picture of what a few men and women at war – as well as at home – faced, endured and fought through in this critical period of our lives and history.

OVER THE BERM