UW Graduate Featured in Iraqi Invasion Documentary Screening March 9

A University of Wyoming graduate and member of the university’s ROTC program is featured in a recently released documentary detailing a combat mission aboard Apache helicopters during the opening days of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

Ret. Col. Kevin Christensen, from Casper, and his fellow soldiers tell their stories, along with actual footage of their mission, in the documentary “Apache Warrior.”

The Strong Eagle Media picture documents the unit’s mission with real footage from the aircrafts’ tapes, along with interviews of Christensen and his colleagues. The film was released in December on the American Heroes Channel, Amazon and iTunes.

“This groundbreaking film puts the viewer in the cockpit of an Apache helicopter during one of the most intense missions in modern aviation's history,” says Lt. Col. Thomas Haas, UW ROTC department chair and a professor of military science. “Christensen was instrumental in this battle and will be able to provide additional insight into the battle.”

A free public screening of “Apache Warrior” is Friday, March 9, at 6 p.m. in the UW College of Agriculture and Natural Resources auditorium. Following the screening, Christensen will be available to answer questions from the audience.

“I encourage everyone to come out and attend the viewing of ‘Apache Warrior,’” Haas says. “UW and UW Army ROTC are fortunate to have patriots like Ret. Col. Christensen among our alumni ranks, and we look forward to sharing his story with the community.”

UW and the Cowboy Battalion Army ROTC program sponsor the screening.

Christensen graduated from Kelly Walsh High School and joined the U.S. Army as an aviation officer after earning his electrical engineering degree in 1989 from UW. He deployed twice to Iraq during his 27 years in the Army. He was trained to fly the AH-64 Apache and, at the time of the mission, was the operations officer of the 6th Squadron, 6th Cavalry.

The film’s trailer can be viewed here: www.apachewarriorfilm.com/#home-section.

“Between the vivid interviews with a swath of military folks and the unprecedented visuals offering a kind of ‘you-are-there excitement,’ the movie immerses viewers into a super-tense, rarely dissected environment. The battle's climax, in which a U.S. flyer is shot, is especially involving,” according to one documentary review.

For more information, call Haas at (307) 766-3377 or email Thaas@uwyo.edu.