Trauma is a powerful force on the human mind, whether it comes from a car accident, the discovery of a cheating spouse, a terrible fire, a shooting or from events experienced in a combat zone. The moment a traumatic experience occurs, a person is often changed forever. Dan is a person who has been dramatically affected by trauma. He is an Army veteran who served two tours in Iraq. During his second tour in Iraq, Dan and his fellow soldiers were traveling in a Humvee when it detonated a roadside bomb. Many of Dan's friends were killed or seriously injured. Dan finished his last tour and returned to his home near Fort Hood, Texas, where he felt constantly on edge. He felt distant and detached from his wife, Heather. He was relieved to be home but had difficulty relating to the daily activities of those around him. Dan found himself missing the sense of belonging and purpose he felt while on tour. He often saw his dead friend's face when he closed his eyes and felt guilty for having survived his tours. He never let his guard down and felt anxious around groups of people. He began self-medicating with marijuana and alcohol. The arguments with his wife became more and more frequent (Beckner 16). Dan and thousands like him are victims of post-traumatic stress disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder, the term used to sum up all the difficulties Dan is going through. Over the past decade, Dan and over 200,000 other soldiers and Marines have been affected by this life-devastating disorder (Aikins par. 6). This is why the US government needs to do more about the PTSD epidemic in the military, because it has negative military effects, negative social effects, and negative health... middle of paper... Raindogs Help Them Face War” Cape Cod Times. 5 October 2013, page 1. October 5, 2013.Web,2013.Klien, Joe. “Can service save us?” Time. July 1,2013.Global issues in context. Network. 15 October 2013.Maguire,Siobhan. “How to Map Your Brain to Reduce Stress.” Sunday Times, London, England, 13 October 2013: 6. Global Issues In Context. Web. October 15, 2013. Silver, Diane. "Many veterans struggle to heal from moral injuries." Do veterans receive adequate health care? Ed. Susan C. Hunnicutt. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Spiegel, David. "Suffering differently." The New York Times Magazine, August 26, 2007: 10 (L). Corperation, October 23, 2013. Zoroya, Gregg, and Meghan Hoyer “Mental Illness Holds Troops Back USA Today.” September 26, 2013: 01A. Web. 2013.