"Military Medicine: Beyond the Battlefield" Airs November 9 at 10 p.m. on PBS

ABC News Award-winning Journalist Bob Woodruff Hosts Documentary Reporting on the Science & Technology Saving and Changing the Lives of America's Service Members

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Oct 26, 2016, 08:05 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Military Medicine: Beyond the Battlefield, a one-hour documentary from NJTV for WNET, tells the stories of the men and women who are at the forefront of the medical frontier winning victories for military personnel and civilians. Premiering Wednesday, November 9 at 10 p.m. on PBS, (check local listings), the documentary reports on the doctors and surgeons treating survivors returning home to resume their lives and recover from sometimes critical injuries. The program airs nationwide the week of Veterans Day (November 11) and is part of Veterans Coming Home, a nationwide public media project helping to bridge the military-civilian divide.

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ABC News Correspondent Bob Woodruff, who was critically injured while covering the War in Iraq in 2006 and was saved by the advances in military medical care, brings his personal understanding of the issues to his role as host and correspondent of the special. "The goal is not only to save lives, it's to return the wounded to the lives they want to live," says Woodruff in the film.

More than 5,300 U.S. service members were killed in action during the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts in the years between 2001 and 2014. But of the thousands of severely wounded who made it to combat hospitals, 96% came home alive. Military Medicine reveals the lifesaving measures implemented as a result of these wars – including faster medical evacuations, the creation of critical care air transport teams that turn planes into flying intensive care units, and the increased use of tourniquets. Military doctors who have treated wounded troops abroad and at home explain how military medicine has changed over the past 15 years.

"Throughout history, through periods of war, there have always been advances in medical care," says Brig. Gen. Jonathan Woodson, M.D., U.S. Army Reserve and former assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. "So if war is the dark side of the human experience where humanity fails, medicine has always provided some hope and light."

Using the best science and technology available, the physicians and scientists in military medicine work to improve the lives of America's wounded, as well as their families. Woodruff takes viewers inside laboratories, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers, where military medical advances and technology are making artificial arms with life-like responses, 3-D printing new organs, adding robotic arms to wheelchairs, and giving damaged legs new strength.

Woven throughout the documentary are the personal accounts from active duty troops, veterans, civilians and military families who share how medical advances are both saving and changing their lives. Among the stories presented is that of retired Army Sgt. 1^st Class Ramon Padilla, who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. Padilla participated in a trial of a robotic prosthetic arm that uses implanted sensors to stimulate movement. Thanks to this groundbreaking technology, he can bend his thumb and play ball with his children, neither of which he could do with his first prosthetic arm.

In terms of numbers, the biggest medical challenge for the military is treating service members with brain injuries like retired Army Sgt. 1^st Class Elana Duffy, who is dealing with memory loss and other symptoms of a traumatic brain injury she sustained while serving in Iraq in 2005. Specialized clinics, such as one at the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany, featured in the documentary, are helping service members identify and heal from these invisible wounds.

The program also delves beyond the medical aspects of medicine. Considered a special "healing place" by veterans is Richard's Coffee Shop in Mooresville, N.C. In operation for more than 20 years, the place offers free coffee for veterans and an opportunity for them to connect every Thursday. "I think this place, Richard's Coffee Shop, is some of the best military medicine around," says retired Staff Sgt. Dale Beatty, who lost both of his legs while serving in Iraq as a member of the U.S. Army National Guard. After recovering, Beatty co-founded Purple Heart Homes, an organization that provides housing solutions for disabled veterans.

There is still much to be done beyond the battlefield. "You know it goes back to George Washington's phrase — and I paraphrase now — that 'the extent to which future generations will serve is directly proportional to how they see the current era veterans being treated,'" Woodson says. "And so, if we don't treat them well, if we don't welcome them back into communities and embrace them and fully support them, we put our future national security in jeopardy."

Military Medicine: Beyond the Battlefield is a production of Public Media NJ, Inc. for WNET. Executive Producer/Writer: Sally Garner. Producer: Ally Gimbel. Editor: Lisa Palattella. Executives-in-Charge: Stephen Segaller and Neal Shapiro. Executive-in-Charge for NJTV: John Servido.

This program is made possible by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, as part of Veterans Coming Home, a public media effort focused on helping post-9/11 veterans in their transition back to civilian life and dedicated to sharing the inspiring stories from veterans of all generations in order to provide a deeper understanding for bridging the military-civilian divide. Veterans Coming Home uses the transformative power of trusted storytelling and diverse perspectives to explore America's relationship with our veterans, providing a more complete picture of the veteran transition, increasing understanding, and inspiring other veterans to seek the support they need. Along with national producers, public media stations are working with over 130 partners and veterans service organizations to connect with veterans, align resources, and bring communities together in meaningful dialogue around important issues.

About CPB
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a private, nonprofit corporation created by Congress in 1967, is the steward of the federal government's investment in public broadcasting. It helps support the operations of nearly 1,500 locally owned and operated public television and radio stations nationwide. CPB is also the largest single source of funding for research, technology and program development for public radio, television and related online services. CPB supports initiatives such as Veterans Coming Home, a collaborative, multi-platform project that builds on public media's strengths to address the needs of veterans in local communities. For more information, visit www.cpb.org and follow us on Twitter @CPBmedia, Facebook and LinkedIn.

About NJTV
NJTV, New Jersey's public television network, brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to all 21 counties in New Jersey and its tri-state neighbors. NJTV presents acclaimed PBS series such as Nature, Charlie Rose and BBC World News America and children's programs with diverse local programs including American Songbook at NJPAC, On the Record with Michael Aron, Driving Jersey, NJDocs, Due Process, One-on-One with Steve Adubato, Classroom Close-Up NJ and State of the Arts. The network's flagship news broadcast, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams, features stories from across the Garden State. NJTV, headquartered at the Agnes Varis NJTV Studio in Newark with additional studios at the Trenton State House and New Jersey City University as well as university content bureaus across the state, strives to engage the community and increase public awareness of critical local issues. Its most recent community outreach initiative, Healthy NJ: News Jersey's Drug Addiction Crisis, combines community forums, news reporting and a resource-driven website to help combat the state's heroin and opioid overdose crisis. The NJTV website offers online programs and free digital resources for educators. NJTV is comprised of WNJN, WNJS, WNJB, and WNJT, which collectively broadcast throughout NJ. NJTV is operated under an agreement with the state of New Jersey by Public Media NJ, Inc. (PMNJ), a non-profit affiliate of WNET, parent company of award-winning New York public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21. Network sponsorships and partnerships are available.

About WNET
WNET is America's flagship PBS station and parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21. WNET also operates NJTV, the statewide public media network in New Jersey. Through its broadcast channels, three cable services (KidsThirteen, Create and World) and online streaming sites, WNET brings quality arts, education and public affairs programming to more than five million viewers each week. WNET produces and presents such acclaimed PBS series as Nature, Great Performances, American Masters, PBS NewsHour Weekend, Charlie Rose and a range of documentaries, children's programs, and local news and cultural offerings. WNET's groundbreaking series for children and young adults include Get the Math, Oh Noah! and Cyberchase as well as Mission US, the award-winning interactive history game. WNET highlights the tri-state's unique culture and diverse communities through NYC-ARTS, Reel 13, NJTV News with Mary Alice Williams and MetroFocus, the daily multi-platform news magazine focusing on the New York region. In addition, WNET produces online-only programming including the award-winning series about gender identity, First Person, and an intergenerational look at tech and pop culture, The Chatterbox with Kevin and Grandma Lill. In 2015, THIRTEEN launched Passport, an online streaming service which allows members to see new and archival THIRTEEN and PBS programming anytime, anywhere: www.thirteen.org/passport.