Holden Honors Iraqi War Veteran and Filmmaker at Capitol Ceremony Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

In a ceremony today in Sacramento, Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) recognized Kyle Hausmann-Stokes of Pasadena as the 41st Assembly District’s Veteran of the Year.

Kyle Hausmann-Stokes is a former U.S. Army Staff Sgt. who served five years in the Army’s Airborne Infantry and as a Squad Leader and Convoy Commander during a yearlong combat tour in Iraq. Hausmann-Stokes was awarded the Bronze Star for his actions under fire.

“I am proud to honor Kyle Hausmann-Stokes for his heroic deeds in combat and his continuing efforts to aid his fellow soldiers who are struggling to adjust following their return from combat,” said Assemblymember Holden. “We owe Kyle a debt of gratitude for his service to our nation both on the battlefield and at home.”

After returning from Iraq, Hausmann-Stokes entered the directing program at USC School of Cinematic Arts. He later founded a film/video/web production company (blue3llc.com) through which he has produced a wide variety of commercials and PSAs for large-scale campaigns and national television broadcast, primarily for the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs.

One of Kyle’s first films (“Now, After”), is an autobiography about his struggles with post-deployment readjustment, and is nationally recognized as one of the most powerful short films about PTSD. Kyle is frequently booked to exhibit the film and give keynote presentations about PTSD to various institutions and organizations within the academic, law enforcement and government sectors.

Most recently, Kyle co-founded VFT: Veterans in Film & Television (vftla.org), an educational and networking nonprofit for current and former members of the military working in the entertainment industry, and remains highly active with its programs, events, and growing 1,500+ membership.