Meet the Filmmaker | Graham Flanagan

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As tension builds in the Indo-Pacific region, the United States Army trains warfighters to be ready for combat in the event of a military conflict with China.

Business Insider's Chief video correspondent Graham Flanagan embedded with the Army's 25th Infantry Division in November 2023 for a two-week training exercise with over 5,000 participants, including members of foreign militaries like the Royal Thai Army and the New Zealand Defense Force.

The event pits the Army's 3rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, known as the Bronco Brigade, against an opposing force (OPFOR) played by another brigade of Army soldiers in a sprawling war games exercise held across the Hawaiian islands.

Flanagan follows Charlie Company, known as "Charlie Rock" as they brace for battle with OPFOR on the desolate, lava rock-laden Pohakuloa Training Area on the island of Hawaii. Charlie Rock's ranking non-commissioned officer is 1st Sgt. Stewart Fletcher, an eccentric and seasoned combat veteran who now leads a new generation of soldiers that have yet to experience the reality of war.

Originally from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Graham graduated from the University of Alabama in 2005. In 2006, he joined CNN's NYC-based morning show "American Morning" as a production assistant, later becoming an associate producer. He then worked for the CNN primetime show "Campbell Brown" from 2009 to 2010.In 2010, he joined Bloomberg Television, working as a video producer for the network's live news broadcasts and digital platforms.In 2014, he joined the Business Insider video team as a senior producer focused on making short-form videos. After becoming Senior Video Correspondent in 2016, Graham began to create long-form stories, including a mini-documentary about the controversial re-segregation of his high school in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Since then, his primary focus has been producing and overseeing "Boot Camp," the award-winning documentary series focused on military and law enforcement training. Now Business Insider's Chief Video Correspondent, Graham and his team of producers have created over 100 episodes of the series, including stories about basic training for all branches of the Armed Forces (including Space Force), advanced training, and a series about life inside military service academies and colleges.
In 2023, Graham published his first feature-length documentary "Welcome To The J: Inside Army Jungle School," which was officially selected by the Sidewalk Film Festival, and went on to become Business Insider's most-watched new video of 2023.
In 2024 Graham was named "Video Producer of the Year" by the Digiday Video and TV Awards. His latest feature length documentary chronicles his embed with the US Army's 25th Infantry Division during a two-week "war games" training exercise in Hawaii.
Graham regularly speaks with students at the University of Alabama, and has also served as a guest-speaker at UVA and Light House Studio. He lives in Charlottesville with his wife, two children, and adopted Boykin Spaniel "Daisy."
Graham's website

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Light House Studio at Vinegar Hill Theatre, 220 West Market Street, Charlottesville, United States