The Silent War of Trey Hartman

The loss of my niece to suicide and the devastating effect it had on surviving family members was a catalyst in writing this screenplay, as was the high rate of suicide among military veterans. Statistically, 22 veterans die by suicide each day or roughly one every 65 minutes, a number on average that is 22 times greater than the civilian population. The Army has suffered 52% of the suicides from all branches and the suicide rate for female veterans is 250% higher than that for female non-vets. Military officials have also acknowledged that suicides among Special Operations Forces, including Navy SEALs, Delta Force, Rangers, and Special Forces are at record levels, citing the effects of more than a decade of hard combat.

Chief Warrant Officer TREY HARTMAN is a highly decorated and dedicated Special Operations soldier assigned to a Delta assault team on deployment to destroy ISIL targets in Iraq and Syria. In the wake of a successful combat operation, Trey and his team returns to their Temporary Change of Station in Kuwait, and he soon learns that his younger sister LEXIE has committed suicide. Trey is then granted a 30 day bereavement leave to return home to support his grieving family. Lexie, a Captain with the Minnesota National Guard Joint Force Medical Detachment, and an Afghanistan war veteran suffering from Post Traumatic Stress, has her life revealed through memory flashbacks as Trey finds himself coping with guilt, anger, and overwhelming grief.

Trey forms a bond with Lexie's best friend KATE RYAN, the quintessential girl next door who takes it upon herself to help him battle his own demons of post-traumatic stress and suicidal ideation. His ordinary three-foot world is a dark and vicious place, a world that most Americans couldn't begin to comprehend exists, and for most of his adult life it’s the only world he’s known. But the time has come to leave that world behind, to re-adjust, and to heal the invisible wounds of war.

Inspired by true events, “The Silent War of Trey Hartman”, is an action-drama in the tradition of “Home of the Brave”, “Thank You for Your Service”, and “Brothers”. While there are scenes of intense combat, it is a story of brotherhood, a family’s love, new found romance, and healing the emotional, physical and psychological scars caused by years of sustained combat. It is loosely based on actual events and experiences of Special Operations warriors.