Veterans keep fighting long after the uniform comes off. Some battles unfold in families, careers and friendships. Others stay locked inside the mind.
Sheepdog, a new independent film, brings those unseen struggles into the open and refuses to leave them there.
Written and directed by Steven Grayhm and produced by Matt Dallas, Sheepdog follows a decorated combat veteran 10 years after his last deployment as he confronts loss, survivor’s guilt and the search for post-traumatic growth. The film premiered in Washington, D.C., at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Heritage Center, and is backed by the National Guard Association of the United States and the Code of Support Foundation.
The story does not center on combat. It centers on what comes after.
Created by Those Who Lived It
The film’s origins trace back to a moment Grayhm never expected.
“Sheepdog is a 14-year journey to the screen,” Grayhm told Military.com. “My car broke down three hours north of Los Angeles, and the tow truck driver who picked me up started opening up about his marriage, his kids, his finances and the medications tied to his deployments.
"He kept saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m telling you this. I’ve never told a therapist. I haven’t told my wife.’ I barely said three words. I just listened.”
The driver was a combat veteran who had been out of uniform just over a year. The conversation left a mark.
“I couldn’t understand how someone could serve honorably, work hard and still feel disconnected from his family, his community, and even his battle buddies,” Grayhm said.
That moment became the emotional blueprint for the film.
A nationwide research effort followed. Veterans, Gold Star families, clinicians and Department of Veterans Affairs providers were interviewed. A broom closet at the Detroit VA Medical Center became a temporary workspace so post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) orientation classes and therapy roleplay sessions could be observed firsthand.
“So much of this story comes from real people,” Grayhm told Military.com. “We didn’t want to tell a story about trauma alone. We wanted to show what happens after the uniforms come off, when life keeps moving.”
Post-Traumatic Growth, Not Just Survival
The film centers on a concept still unfamiliar to many outside clinical circles: post-traumatic growth. Trauma is not denied or minimized. It is not romanticized.
Instead, the story challenges the idea that trauma must define the rest of a life.
“We wanted to show the work—the setbacks, the resistance," he said. "The moments where someone wants to quit and the moments where they finally believe they might be more than what happened to them.”
That commitment shaped every stage of production. Veterans reviewed scenes. Dialogue changed. Entire sequences disappeared when they felt performative instead of authentic. Consultation remained constant.
For the filmmakers, the responsibility was never abstract.
“You are telling someone else’s story even when you are telling your own,” Dallas told Military.com. “You owe them honesty.”
John Goheen, spokesman for the National Guard Association of the United States, said the film reflects a daily reality for Guard and Reserve veterans.
“When they return from a combat region, they literally go home,” Goheen told Military.com. “They do not go back to a base where people understand what they went through. They go back to their communities, families and jobs, often without easy access to mental health assistance.”
He said that gap defines much of the struggle.
“That is our challenge,” he said.
After watching the film twice, Goheen said its authenticity stood out.
“The movie is very authentic because the parties involved spent a lot of time speaking with veterans,” he said. “It shows survivor’s guilt. It shows how war changes you. You do not come home the same person.”
He said the impact extends beyond the military community.
“This movie helps people understand what it is like to go to war and then come home,” Goheen said. “It changes you.”
A 'Truly Artistic and Authentic Portrayal'
The Washington premiere carried meaning beyond a screening schedule and guest list. The U.S. Navy Memorial placed the story inside a living space of service, sacrifice and memory.
The setting reinforced the film’s position inside a broader national conversation about how the country supports veterans after war.
Organizers said the location reflected a belief that remembrance and recovery belong in the same space.
The film did not promise answers in two hours; rather, it aimed to start dialogue that lasts longer than a closing scene.
Jessa Foor, executive director of the Code of Support Foundation, said the film mirrors what her organization sees daily.
“Sheepdog is a truly artistic and authentic portrayal of the challenges many veterans and their families face after military service,” Foor told Military.com. “Post-traumatic stress does not exist in isolation. It affects marriages, parenting, employment, and a veteran’s sense of identity and belonging.”
Foor said healing requires more than treatment.
“Recovery is most effective when it is coordinated and family-centered,” she said. “Healing happens through community, connection and trust, not just clinical intervention.”
However, significant gaps remain in veteran care.
“Too many transitioning service members struggle to navigate a fragmented system,” Foor said. “Services are available but not aligned.”
The National Association of Social Workers also praised the film and highlighted the role of social workers inside the VA system.
“Social workers have served veterans since 1926,” Greg Wright with the National Association of Social Workers told Military.com. “Today, more than 18,000 VA social workers provide crisis intervention, advocacy, benefit assistance and therapy for PTSD, depression and addiction.”
Wright said policy decisions threaten that care.
“Workforce reductions and back-to-office orders risk harming quality of care and privacy,” he said. “Veterans deserve better.”
Reaching Veterans Where They Are
Grayhm said the film’s mission does not end with premieres or festival screenings.
He has built partnerships with veteran and military support organizations to ensure the story reaches service members, veterans and families who might otherwise never encounter it.
Rather than relying only on traditional distribution channels, Grayhm has collaborated with advocacy groups, mental health organizations and veteran networks to organize community screenings, conversations and outreach efforts tied directly to the film’s themes.
“This movie is not just about watching something and walking away,” Grayhm told Military.com. “It is about creating access. It is about making sure veterans can actually see it, talk about it, and feel less alone when they do.”
Screenings have been coordinated with organizations that work directly with service members navigating transition, trauma and reintegration.
“If the people who need this story never see it, then we failed,” Grayhm said. “This is about connection, not box office.”
What Comes Next
Grayhm said government agencies must do more to simplify access to care, reduce stigma and strengthen continuity between military and civilian systems.
“Too many veterans fall into gaps,” he said. “They leave a structured environment and enter a world that does not always know how to catch them.”
Dallas said responsibility does not rest with government alone.
“The public has a role,” Dallas said. “Listen. Learn. Stop expecting veterans to explain themselves. Create space for them to be human, not just heroes.”
Both filmmakers said gratitude must extend beyond ceremonies.
The uniforms come off. The expectations remain. The struggle often begins quietly.
'Bottom Line': Help Is Everywhere
Grayhm said the message he hopes every veteran takes from the film is simple.
“The bottom line is, you matter,” he said. “You do not have to do this alone. Your service and sacrifice are appreciated. And your family’s sacrifice is appreciated, too.”
He paused. “I hope veterans who see the film feel that because that is the truth," he added.
Veterans and families seeking support can contact the Veterans Crisis Line by calling or texting 988 and pressing 1, or chatting online at VeteransCrisisLine.net. Help is available and confidential on a 24-7 basis.
Veterans can locate VA mental health services, Vet Centers and community providers through VA.gov or by calling (877) 222-8387. Caregivers and family members can find free, confidential support through the VA Caregiver Support Line at (855) 260-3274.
