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The Impact of War series is made possible by generous contributions from Richard P. Brown, Jr. and Suzanne and Ronald Naples.

The Impact of War

A safe haven for soldiers

February 10th, 2010

Caption: Two service members playing video games at the Liberty USO lounge in the Philadelphia International Airport.

This month marks the 69th anniversary of the United Service Organizations or the USO. To boost troop morale, the USO has entertained service members over the years with thousands of celebrities from Bob Hope to Stephen Colbert. But the USO also operates airport centers across the country, including here in Philadelphia, where troops travelling everyday stop by to eat and rest. Stephanie Marudas reports as part of our Impact of War series.

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Caption: What visitors to the Liberty USO lounge at the Philadelphia International Airport first see when they arrive.

Caption: Service members relaxing and using free Wi-Fi service in the Liberty USO lounge at the Philadlephia International Airport.

Previously

The War on the Big Screen

January 20, 2010

Caption: From left: Iraq war veteran Rick Lund and Afghanistan war veteran Chris Marvin are now graduate students at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Business. Both have gone to see recent movies set around the wars.

At the recent Golden Globe Awards ceremony, Actor Kevin Bacon won best TV mini series actor for his role in HBO's Taking Chance. Three other movies about the American wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were also up for nominations. As part of our Impact of War Series, Stephanie Marudas talks with Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans about how they connect to these films.

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Part II: Military spouses and their networks of care

November 18, 2009

As soldiers go off to war, their spouses remain on the home-front and face new everyday challenges alone. But support groups, often led by other military spouses, are in place to help them. As part of our Impact of War series, we continue the story about the Pennsylvania National Guard 56th Stryker Brigade's deployment to Iraq and recent return home. Stephanie Marudas has the story.

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Part I: Families facing transitions

November 11, 2009

Caption: From left: Greg (in cap) and Wendy Wright. Preston and Debbie O'Connor. Standing outside the O'Connor's home in a town north of Allentown. Greg and Preston recently returned from Iraq with the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade.

The Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade returned home from Iraq in September after a nine month deployment there. On this Veterans' Day, the brigade's 4600 members are now readjusting to life back home. As part of our Impact of War series, Stephanie Marudas spoke with two brigade members and their spouses.

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Related content from WHYY

The inner wars our soldiers are fighting

March 18, 2010

Much has been written about the wars being fought by U.S. troops in Afghanistan and Iraq. In her new book, The Untold War: Inside the Hearts, Minds, and Souls of Our Soldiers, Nancy Sherman probes the inner war being fought by service men and women. A philosopher and psychoanalyst who teaches ethics at Georgetown University and the U.S. Naval Academy, Sherman examines the ethical and moral dilemmas faced by modern warriors, and the lingering effects their choices have for the rest of their lives, and U.S. society.

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Behavioral Health Desk:

Program aims to reach vets seeking mental health treatments

February 26, 2010

Veterans Affairs Medical Centers in Philadelphia and Coatesville will perform a mass check-up this weekend. Each hospital is expecting 400 combat veterans who recently returned from Iraq. They're members of the Army National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade. The Pentagon orders these check ups three to six months after troops return from a deployment. From the Behavioral Health Desk, Maiken Scott reports on a new program that aims to break through the barriers.

(Photo: Soldiers from the 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team near Baghdad in July 2009 / http://www.flickr.com/photos/soldiersmediacenter/ / CC BY 2.0)

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Behavioral Health Desk:

Program aims to reach vets seeking mental health treatments

November 30, 2009

Stigma and shame continue to prevent some military veterans from seeking help for mental health issues. From the Behavioral Health Desk, Maiken Scott reports on a new program that aims to break through the barriers.

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About

The Impact of War at Home
About 4,000 members of the Pennsylvania National Guard's 56th Stryker Brigade Combat Team are expected to deploy to Iraq later this year. Hundreds of these men and women live in the Philadelphia area. They include business owners, computer programmers, teachers, students and cooks, and they are wives, husbands, and parents. As the soldiers gear up for war, their family members prepare for their absence. Over the next year, in conjunction with National Public Radio and three other Pennsylvania public radio stations, WHYY will tell the stories of these soldiers, their families and how they cope emotionally, and financially, with the absence of their loved ones.

Additional coverage on the effects of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts on soldiers and their families can be found at War Torn - a series by The New York Times. The articles and multimedia tell the stories of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who have committed killings, or been charged with them, after coming home.