Colonel, Army; Hometown: Alexandria, VA.
"I fought for my family, my neighbors, my community, and my buddies on my left and my right; and I come home to my family, my neighbors, my community, and I look for new buddies on my left and my right. The bonds that exist on the battlefield and being part of something much bigger than yourself is our inspiration." (Photo: Col. Sutherland pins the Purple Heart to his soldier’s pillow; Courtesy of Eros Hoagland)

General, Army; Hometown: Seattle, WA.
"A desire to serve my country and follow in the footsteps of my father. My father was a meat butcher before WWII, enlisted in the Army after Pearl Harbor, fought with Patton, received a battlefield commission, and returned to Seattle to continue meat cutting. Dad would not talk about his wartime experiences, but one of my earliest memories is being with him when he visited the parents of a soldier on his tank crew who was killed in the war. The necessity to live a life of service, believe in a cause bigger than self, loyalty, and caring for those you lead was a huge part of my youth and was demonstrated daily by the man that I loved more than any other. How could I not serve?" (Works for vets at One Mind for Research.)

Lieutenant Commander, Navy; Hometown: Solon Springs, WI. "I chose to serve this nation and give back to a country that gave me the life that I live today. Had I been left at the orphanage in DaNang, Vietnam, I would have a very different life. I owe everything to the Vietnam veterans who sacrificed so much so that I could, in return, serve this country also. After 17 years in the Navy, I have made the decision to continue to serve our veterans and military families by establishing, in conjunction with Easter Seals and with Col. David Sutherland, U.S. Army (ret.), the SSG Donnie D. Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Community Services. I will not and cannot tolerate another generation of homeless veterans."

Major (selected for Lt. Col.), Marines Reserve; Hometown: Fairfax, VA. "I did not have the opportunity to deploy while on active duty, so was excited to volunteer with the Fourth Civil Affairs Group. Nobody joins the Marine Corps to sit on the sidelines, and I was inspired by the mission to help rebuild war-torn areas of the country and to lead Marines in a combat environment. I had contemplated the scenario that I may be killed in action, especially due to the strength of the insurgency in 2006. I had come to terms with that, but hadn’t considered being seriously wounded. Even though I was shot in the head by a sniper, I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything; I now draw on my lessons learned as an inspirational speaker."

Sergeant, Marines/Army; Hometown: La Puente, CA.
"My inspiration to join the Armed Forces was fueled by the desire to travel. I joined the Marine Corps in 1997 and traveled to many countries. I loved it. I was released from active duty in 2001, but was immediately recalled due to conflicts abroad. I deployed a few times, then in 2006 I was again discharged. I joined the Army in 2007 when I felt the need to continue to defend freedom from aggressors. I deployed several times to Iraq and Afghanistan and made some truly remarkable friends along the way. They were the reason I continued to fight. I was wounded a few times in the process, but in the end it all came down to my friends, my team, and my unit."

Captain, Army; Hometown: Lawton, OK.
"My father spent 30 years leading soldiers, and my mother raised three boys in different places around the world. Our home was where our country called my father. My parents taught me about justice and hard work. An inscription at Ellis Island reads, “Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” That is the unique promise our country has given generations of immigrants, the marginalized and disenfranchised. America is a promise of a better life for which so many have risked everything. I volunteered to serve because I believe in that promise and because men better than me have sacrificed everything so I can live free." (Founder, TroopSwap.org)

Sergeant, Marines; Hometown: New York, NY.
"My service started with a passion to serve my country and was strengthened when my unit was deployed to Iraq. In Fallujah, as a machine gunner and fire team leader, my primary driving force was bringing my team home safe. As the months passed in the deployment, our mission turned from a strictly combat element to incorporating a humanitarian element. We visited local schools in the villages and handed out book bags, paper, and soccer balls. We gathered and distributed warm clothing in the winter. That call to service continued when I came home in a fellowship with The Mission Continues, where I taught dance in New York and Iraq." (Also volunteers with IAVA.org)

Sergeant, Army; Hometown: Windsor, NY.
"I never thought of my service as risking everything. I joined the Army for many reasons. First, 9-11 is an obvious reason. The unity of our nation after 9-11 was inspiring. Second, I needed a change of pace from my regular life. Third, and most importantly, the thought that I hadn’t done anything for my country while so many had given everything. It was my turn to give what I could to my country. I wasn’t risking anything. No matter what happened to me, my service was going to shape me into a better, stronger, more confident person. I made it home, unlike so many others. Please remember these names: SFC Anthony Venetz and SGT. Luis Montes. May they rest in peace."

Sergeant E5, Marines; Hometown: Whittier, CA.
"I served my country as a United States Marine because I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself. I was intrigued by the tradition and by the men that came before me. As an American, I felt it was my duty to serve and it has been one of the greatest honors I have ever had in my life. I will forever cherish my time in the Marine Corps as well as the men that I have served alongside with." (Volunteers with IAVA.org)

The following images have been provided by photographers affiliated with Operation Love ReUnited, a nonprofit, volunteer organization founded in 2006 by military wife and photographer Tonee Lawrence. The organization connects military families with professional photographers across the country who donate their time and talents to create memories for servicemen and
-women who are getting ready to deploy, are currently deployed, or are coming home. (This photo and gallery cover: Kristi Baumgarten)

Major + Lieutenant Colonel, Air Force; Hometown: Burke, VA. "Many people have asked us ‘why we joined’ or ‘why we serve’ in the military, assuming they’re asking the same question. But we have two very different answers. We joined to help finance college educations. But now, years later, we’re humbled and privileged to serve for the honor of our family. Not just for our children and families at home, but for our selfless, honorable, and courageous military family around the world. We serve for our family, our family’s family, and all of those family members that will follow us..." (Photo: Melissa Arroyo)

Sergeant E5, Army National Guard; Hometown: Edgewood, MD. "I serve my country to honor those who have gone before me and to help protect those after me. I serve to continue the pride and tradition instilled in my family’s heritage and to inspire those around me to do the best they can do, no matter the situation."
(Photo and MSN Causes cover: Ashley Reherman)

C17 Pilot, Air Force; Hometown: Magnolia, DE.
"I serve to defend American lives and American liberty. To keep our country strong. And most of all to protect my family. At the end of the day, all families deserve the freedom to feel safe and happy." (Photo: Ashley Reherman)

Quartermaster Officer, Army; Hometown: Georgetown, TX. "Why I choose to serve has changed over the years as I’ve grown up. When I was in my 20s, it was about me—about adventure and opportunities. In my 30s, it was about family, community, and pride in the American tradition. Now in my 40s, it’s for the love of the soldiers and all families that make up the communities and this nation. Not everyone can serve, and not everyone should, but EVERYONE can support in their way, fighting for what makes America the amazing country it is! I serve because I want to; there is no other profession more important to me, no matter the cost." (Photo: Jay Brittain)

Major 04, Army; Hometown: North Potomac, MD.
"When I first joined the Army, it was with as much bravado as any other adolescent male pre 9-11. However, almost 17 years later, I now realize the importance of supporting our country for future generations. Looking into the eyes of my five daughters, even for a split second, makes me realize: I serve for them." (Photo: Melissa Arroyo)

First Lieutenant, Army; Hometown: Greenville, SC.
"I serve because I want to have a part in preserving the freedom and security of my country—my friends and my family. Our country isn’t perfect, but it is unprecedented and unequalled in its ‘liberty and justice for all,’ and that makes me proud to call it home and proud to serve in its defense." (Photo: Kristi Baumgarten)

Staff Sergeant E5, Air Force; Hometown: Fort Meade, MD. "I serve because I enjoy protecting the people of the United States and the rest of the world. I believe the people of certain nations need our help, and I’m willing to sacrifice my time away from family and friends to help these people. I love my country, I love the world, and I will do everything possible that I can to help."
(Photo: Melissa Arroyo)

Staff Sergeant, National Guard; Hometown: Utica, NY.
"I joined the military because I wanted to serve like my maternal grandfather in Korea and because my father served in the Air Force. I’ve been in the army for 16 years. I want to serve and honor my country, family, and kids. I really didn’t realize why I serve until I was deployed overseas to Kosovo and Iraq. I have a childhood friend who was killed in Iraq back in 2003; I knew his family—sister, mother and father—and they knew my family too. I serve to honor all those who have sacrificed their lives and put their lives on hold, day in and out, so that we can all enjoy the freedoms we sometimes take for granted." (Photo: Kristi Baumgarten)

Staff Sergeant, Air National Guard; Hometown: Bel Air, MD. "I serve because many of my family members have served this country in the past. I serve today to protect my family and to provide them a safe future."
(Photo: Ashley Reherman)

Sergeant First Class, Army; Hometown: Temple, TX.
"I joined the Army 12 years ago to help straighten my life out and give it a direction. I found that direction, and the sense of belonging to a team, during my four deployments and other stateside assignments I’ve held. Though I’ve missed birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, and many other milestones, it’s the feeling of being part of something bigger that keeps me signing on the dotted line to reenlist." (Photo: Jay Brittain)

Captain, Black Hawk Pilot, Army; Hometown: Sackets Harbor, NY. "The primary reason I serve is to defend a country I love. America has given all of us freedoms we tend to take for granted. These freedoms are worth protecting and fighting for. 9-11-01 was a very emotional time for everyone in the U.S. I was a freshman at West Point when the hijacked planes struck. On that day, I felt a sense of duty to serve our nation and help protect those freedoms that are the backbone of our country. I also serve to protect my family. I want to provide my family with a safe environment to live and grow up in, one free from tyranny and oppression."
(Photo: Kristi Baumgarten)

Sergeant E5, Army; Hometown: Brooklyn Park, MD.
"I serve to defend our great country, so that all Americans may have the freedom they deserve."
(Photo: Melissa Arroyo)

E5 / Operations Specialist 2, Navy; Hometown: Norfolk, VA. "I serve because I felt I needed to do my part in defending the freedoms I enjoy and to honor those who defended it before me." (Photo: Melissa Arroyo)

Lieutenant Colonel, Air Force; Hometown: Charleston, SC. "I’ve served in the USAF for over 20 years because I love the United States. It has been an honor to be a part of preserving our freedoms and our way of life and protecting my family and our country."
(Photo: Rachel Donelson)

Master Sergeant, Air Force; Hometown: Bowie, MD.
"Simple: I serve for the love of our country."
(Photo: Melissa Arroyo)

Veterans need jobs to come home to. Last year the U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched Hiring Our Heroes with a job fair in Chicago. When it was over, more than 1,300 veterans and military spouses had come through the doors. A little more than 18 months later, they are celebrating their 300th hiring fair milestone. Find an event near you.

With tough competition for jobs and ever more troops coming home, find out The 9 Companies Employing the Most Veterans.

According to the Veterans Administration, the overall rate of PTSD in Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is currently at 20 percent. That’s a big number—and critics say the real number is bigger—so demand for alternative treatments is high. One therapeutic tool, the Virtual Iraq/Afghanistan project, is now being used by some 50 U.S. hospitals and clinics. The apparatus simulates a variety of scenarios and sensory experiences, such as the smells of body odor and the sound of spice market chatter suddenly erupting into gunfire. With professional guidance, veterans can use these re-created moments of trauma to work through their memories so they can stop being haunted by them. [Gallery by Alison Singh Gee]

This past August the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study that concluded PTSD sufferers could benefit from couples therapy. Those afflicted with PTSD may suffer from stress and demonstrate uncontrollable anger and violent behavior, all of which affect relationships. The study suggested that even a short period of treatment—about four months—in tandem with a partner may help.

In the past few years, the Veterans Affairs clinic in southern New Jersey has more than doubled its number of music therapists. Studies show music can trigger the brain’s release of chemicals that distract the body from pain. For instance, sounds played on lower-pitched instruments, such as violas, are more soothing than flutes and drums. Music stirs up deeply felt emotions and astute music therapists analyze which songs are healing to their patients. These songs lull vets into a more relaxed and open state of mind, which also helps with the one-on-one or group therapy that follows.

In development since late last year to fight recurring nightmares experienced by PTSD veterans, the power dream will be viewed on laptops or 3-D goggles in the aftermath of a disturbing dream. The person will be shown a world she has created, with such elements as peaceful rivers and idyllic woodlands populated with animals or avatars that can even be made to look like family members or friends by scanning in photographs. According to Wired, the long-term purpose of power dreaming is that it eventually creates neurological reactions that enable vets to relax on their own. [Left image is not power dreaming experience.]

This traditional Chinese medicine approach to renewing the body’s energy is now used on PTSD sufferers. A practitioner inserts needles at specific points in the skin to encourage the body’s energy to flow through the brain, organs, and limbs in a more balanced way, so the body operates more efficiently, more calmly. A typical treatment schedule might be one session a week for three months. Recent trials suggest that the treatment not only helps lessen PTSD stress and aggressive impulses, but it also rapidly alleviates depression.

As Arthur Boorman, a paratrooper in the Persian Gulf War, attested in his inspiring and viral video of 2012, yoga can seriously transform a veteran's life. It had been about 20 years since his service. He weighed 300 pounds, walked with crutches and leg braces because of his injuries, and had every reason to believe his situation was permanent. He was inspired to begin a yoga program and inside of a year lost 140 pounds and was walking, even running, without assistance. While Boorman's may be a story of extreme success, many vets at Yoga Warriors in Massachusetts and other similar organizations are finding that yoga helps them relax, experience peace, sleep, and build strength.

In Santa Fe, New Mexico, the Cowboy Up! program offers hands-on horse experience for veterans suffering from PTSD. In communing with gentle four-legged creatures, vets begin “listening to the breath of the horse, and as they start grooming and being around the horses, something magical starts to happen with that connection,” says Cowboy Up! president and combat veteran Rick Iannucci. In addition to experiencing the equine camaraderie, the former soldiers spend time with the ranch’s cowboys, many of whom are veterans themselves. Cowboy Up! is just one of many programs under the organization Horses4Heroes, which offers opportunities to veterans all over America.

If you (or someone you know) may be struggling with PTSD, you can take this self-assessment test from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs and locate someone to talk to near you.

Many vets seek new degrees when they return home from duty. Guess which colleges have the highest graduation rate for veterans.