Army Combat Cameraman Captures the Horrors of War (Still Haunts Him)

This week on Urban Valor, we hear the extraordinary story of Army Staff Sergeant Robert Ham—a combat videographer whose job was to document war through the lens. Serving from 2007 to 2017, Robert captured footage most Americans will never see—graphic, haunting, and real. But it wasn’t until he reviewed the footage later that the emotional weight truly hit him.

In this week's episode of Urban Valor, Robert shares the reality of filming dying Afghans, surviving mortar attacks, and embedding with combat units across Afghanistan. He opens up about the toll that job took on his mental health and what happened after he came home. Despite enrolling at USC’s top-ranked film school, he struggled with depression, identity loss, and nearly took his own life.

Now a filmmaker dedicated to preserving the stories of those who served, Robert is the creator behind Interpreters Wanted and Searching for Bergdahl. His story is one of service, trauma, survival, and healing.

🔗 Watch Robert’s documentaries: https://www.hammrproductions.com
📺 Watch “Interpreters Wanted” on VeteranTV.com

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Video Chapters: 
00:00 Filming Life and Death in Afghanistan
00:28 Meet Robert Ham – Army Combat Videographer
03:00 Growing Up with Artist Parents
05:01 Witnessing 9/11 and a Shift Toward Service
06:58 Joining the Army and Becoming Combat Camera
08:59 Shocking Experiences in Basic Training
10:45 Saving a Fellow Soldier on the Firing Range
12:52 Discovering Hidden Talents in Fellow Recruits
14:06 First Deployment with the 25th Infantry Brigade
16:00 Winning Trust Through Film
18:30 Why Combat Camera Was Essential
21:00 Missions, Combat, and Creating PG-13 War Films
24:00 Missing His Son’s First Year for Deployment
26:00 The Confusion of the Afghanistan War Mission
28:44 First Outside-the-Wire Mission: EOD Team
30:50 Earning His Place with the Infantry
34:00 Behind the Camera During Chaos and Combat
35:54 CIA's Deadliest Day – Dec 30, 2009
40:00 The Cost of War and Raw Storytelling
42:01 July 4th Base Attack – Telling the Story
45:00 Searching for Bergdahl Documentary
48:00 Remembering the Fallen – Patrick Devoe & Others
51:00 Afghan Interpreters and Their Sacrifice
54:00 What It Took to Leave Afghanistan
57:00 Transitioning to Civilian Life After Service
60:00 Getting into USC Film School on the GI Bill
63:00 Why Telling Veteran Stories Matters
65:00 His Grandmother Survived Genocide – Now He Tells Stories
67:00 Robert’s Films and Work with the VA
69:30 A Final Message to Veterans

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