Our soldiers are returning from a war that has torn at their hearts, minds, and has broken their bodies like no other war. They have fought under extreme conditions, while doing their best to survive and stay alive, follow political protocol than the traditional ones we have used in past wars and conflicts.

Our soldiers are being bombarded from all sides and facing major liabilities for their actions. They fight with the fear of being charged with war crimes later, or punished for civilian casualties or deaths that occurred during skirmishes or strikes, incidents that happen in all wars ... yet we as soldiers are condemned when these accidents occur.

Granted, cold-blooded killings should be stopped ... but when doubts or fear of being killed or when attacked by a hostile force .. should be dealt with in whatever manner it takes to overcome the threat. We are fighting in a conflict that does not fall under any Geneva Convention Act, our enemies do not respect any rules, guidelines or show any mercy to our troops and coalition forces. Now, some of our soldiers finally return home from the Iraqi or the Afghanistan conflict, hammered by war's blunt trauma.

They have been subjected to countless firefights, loss of friends, witnessed deaths like babies, small children, men and women, receiving little protection for our soldiers or in receiving their equipment needs, they didn't get our Politician's support like they should have, dodging RPG rounds, running into IED threats or incidents, grenades being dropped on them while walking down a narrow street on night patrols, ambushes, encountering random sniper fire, entering buildings with no guarantees that the people within are friend or foe.... and so on.

This day in and day out routine weighs heavily on anyone's mind .. questions they often ask themselves.. am I going to die today, will I return home in a box, or receive proper medical care when returning with wounds, a mental or physical injury that will stop me from living a decent normal life upon my return should I be so lucky.
Why me Lord, why didn't you allow Joe and Mary to return home alive? Upon our soldiers' return ... they try to adjust from loud sounds of explosions, bombs, IEDs and the survivor mode to a safer world .... a world of silence where people do not understand or care to listen about what happened overseas. They often return to their neighborhoods where gangs or other American threats do exist, but they are not armed now to protect themselves ... or to rely on their weapon for daily protection, changes that a large number of soldiers cannot handle or adjust to without the proper help.

Most soldiers will return with PTSD and feelings of guilt .. or walking around like a time-bomb ready for an action that will probably not occur as it did in the overseas conflict.
Soldiers that will return jobless, homeless, without family or support groups,often burying themselves in isolation, drinking themselves to death or turning to drugs. This article will only be one of many concerning our soldiers who return and one day go off the deep end. Granted, all soldiers cannot blame the war or conflict for their actions, that is only known by the perpetrator who committed a crime. Homeless vets usually find themselves in trouble with the law or seem forced to commit a crime to live.

Will our Veterans and soldiers receive the adequate help and other assistance in time from our government, military or VA? The agencies they served and fought for . Time will only answer that.

Author . Jim Heitmeyer