Two brothers leave their home in Mexico in search of the 'American Dream', only to realize it was in front of them all the time. Angel is tired of living in his small Mexican town and has no interest in following in his father's footsteps. Instead he resolves to run away, across to cross the border and find his American dream. His older brother, Carlos, has plans of his own and they don't involve leaving home. When Angel tells his older brother of his grand scheme Carlos knows he won't be able to stop him, so he decides to tag along in order to watch over his headstrong little brother. Double-crossed by a smuggler, they find themselves alone in the desert. What follows is a strange and hilarious adventure filled with crazy characters and eye-opening truths until they finally realize the dream they were chasing was back home where they started.

This unflinching examination of the war in Iraq follows soldiers from the elite 101st Airborne Division for 14 months, from stateside preparations to their deployment in Iraq and back home again. Throughout, soldiers speak candidly about their experience in the military and demonstrate the powerful bond established as they struggle to stay alive.