Journey Band

Michigan's Band of Brothers spent months fighting in Iraq. Twenty-two were killed in action; many more were injured. From September of 2006 until April of 2007, the Free Press has documented the journey of these men and their families and the impact of their service.

Coverage began with video and stories of training in the California desert in the summer sun. Journalists David P. Gilkey and Joe Swickard followed the group to Iraq in late 2006, living among them as they conducted military operations in Anbar province.

Other Free Press journalists, John Masson, Stephen McGee and Brian Kaufman, as well as others across the newsroom, have been part of the effort to tell the stories.

For its Band of Brothers coverage, the Free Press earned an Emmy in 2007. The Free Press went on to win two more Emmys in 2008.