PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) - As the public debates the new military policy of women being allowed to serve in combat, many argue that women have been serving in the front lines for years; it was just never official.

One person who was interested in how women cope is Pittsburgh-based documentary producer JulieHera DeStefano. She spent 3½ months in late 2010 and early 2011 touring Afghanistan, interviewing 100 female veterans about their thoughts and fears as they prepared for the end of their deployments, and then followed up with several upon their return home.  The documentary, called “Journey to Normal: Women of War Come Home,”  uncovered the realities of women in war.

“We talk very little about what goes on overseas, and even less about what happens when they come home,” said DeStefano. “I wanted to know if the deployment experience effected women different than men.”

KDKA-AM’s Larry and John talk to DeStefano about her movie live in Studio K  and the issues it uncovered like the combat experience, sexual issues, and even societal pressures like how a mother can leave their child to go to war.

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