Jake Rademacher was not a soldier. His two brothers were.

Jake decided to find out first-hand what motivated Cpt. Isaac Rademacher, an Army Ranger, and Sgt. Joe Rademacher, a sniper, to put their lives on the line in service to their country. With camera crew in tow, he embedded himself into four combat units on the frontlines of Iraq, traveling through the lethal Sunni Triangle and dodging live fire in a tense standoff with combatants. Jake emerged from his quest to understand his brothers' sacrifice with the award-winning documentary "Brothers at War."

When executive producer David Scantling was looking for the right way to commemorate this remarkable look at the sacrifice and service of America's war fighters, he wanted something that would communicate the power of the film's story while recognizing the proud tradition of the U.S. military at the same time.

Challenge Coin Tradition Connects Audience

In early screenings of the movie, military personnel would approach Scantling and give him a military challenge coin as a thank you for helping to candidly depict--free from political agenda or Hollywood spin--what being a soldier truly meant. In these conversations, Scantling noticed the name Northwest Territorial Mint appearing on a regular basis. After hearing of the world-class products and military knowledge of Northwest Territorial Mint from the very people for whom "Brothers at War" was made, Scantling knew he'd found his solution.

Since being founded in 1984, Northwest Territorial Mint has earned a reputation as the mint of choice for America's military. The company has maintained a reputation for producing custom die-struck challenge coins of unsurpassed craftsmanship. When Scantling called Northwest Territorial Mint to discuss his coin idea, he was instantly taken by the quality of the coins he saw. He knew then and there that his coins would connect with the warfighters watching the film in a tangible and lasting way.

Gary Sinise and Film's Producers Make Their Own Challenge Coin

The producers, including fellow Executive Producer, Academy Award nominee and Presidential Citizens Medal winner Gary Sinise, decided on a design that would be a moving reminder of this unique story about three brothers on the front lines. The coin shows the three brothers together on the obverse (heads side) of the coin with the movie's log line: "Two brothers went to fight. One went to find out why."

On the reverse (tails side), each of Director and Producer Jake Rademacher; Producer Norman S. Powell; and Executive Producers Gary Sinise and David Scantling has his personal signature struck into metal. The reverse is filled with the five branches of the military and the film's website, www.brothersatwarmovie.com. The phrase that frames the bottom of the coin, "Thank you for your service," sums it all up. "We thought it would be appropriate to give back to the warfighter," said Scantling. "We wanted to thank them for their service with coins of our own."

Award-Winning Film is a Story about All Military Families

Just as challenge coins are carried always, the themes of service and sacrifice are ever present throughout this extraordinary documentary. The film calls attention to the values and traditions that define America's proud warriors. After receiving the heartfelt praise and standing ovations from audiences across the country, a number of veterans have told Jake that they hope as many people as possible see the film because, as Medal of Honor recipient Col. Jack Jacobs put it, "‘Brothers at War' is not just a film about Jake and his family, it's a film about my experience in Vietnam, and my family's experience.  It's a film about all of our families." "Brothers at War" honors the men and women of the U.S. military and serves as a reminder that they are part of a cause much larger than themselves.

"Brothers at War" was crowned Best Feature Documentary at the 2008 G.I. Film Festival in Washington, D.C., and was awarded the Grand Jury Prize and Best Documentary title at the Solstice Film Festival in Minneapolis. The film opened in select locations in March 2009, playing near major army bases, has since played in over 60 cities, and will be eligible for Academy Award consideration.  Learn where the film is playing currently or find out how to bring "Brothers at War" to your communityat brothersatwarmovie.com. Additionally, "Brothers at War" events have helped raise nearly $200,000 for veterans' causes.

Since being founded in 1984, Northwest Territorial Mint has earned a reputation for creating outstanding personalized designs for custom challenge coins and commanders' coins for all branches of America's military. The full-service mint can take any idea from concept to precision-crafted perfection at its U.S. facility in Auburn, Washington.