Immediately after Secretary of Defense (SecDef) Pete Hegseth took office in January, a participant in our film received a “cease and desist” order to stop communicating with our team. In addition, all online media sites operated by the U.S. military have been ordered to purge content relating to women’s integration of ground combat roles. This purge threatens to erase these stories from the official record.

It is exciting to report some good news for THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary film. Surprisingly, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) gave our in-progress, feature-length documentary a Filmmaker Fund Award and grant for $10,000 in partnership with the Véraison Fund.

Photo courtesy of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Kris Fuhr, second from left (West Point graduate and co-producer of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary film) stands  with the first three women to graduate the U.S. Army’s Ranger School on October 16, 2015. From left to right: 1st Lieutenant Shaye Haver, Kris Fuhr, Major Lisa Jaster, and Captain Kristen Greist. Fuhr has been a strong supporter of Ranger graduates, both men and women, for more than 10 years at Fort Moore (formerly Fort Benning). 

Photo courtesy of Chris Fuhr.

Cameras rolled last week in Lacey, WA to shoot a key scene with a retired Army combat veteran whose career intersected with people and events that are central to THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary film.

The year 2025 will be a tipping point for both THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary film and for women in the U.S. military, especially those serving in combat roles.

A primary goal of THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary film is to contribute to the national dialogue about the role of women in the military and, by extension, in broader society. This is a highly relevant issue as the new Presidential administration moves forward with an agenda that promises to remove support for gender equality and marginalized groups.

Creation of the documentary film THE FIGHT TO FIGHT is an act of service led by women who have served. It is also an act of support for women who are currently serving in the U.S. military, especially those performing important roles in combat units.

Though women have fought and died in every U.S. conflict since the American Revolution, they were never officially allowed to fight. THE FIGHT TO FIGHT documentary feature film tells the story of the pioneers who battled to allow women to integrate combat units.