Yesterday I mentioned that we are in the throws of the first large scale wave of our fighting men and women returning from Iraq and beginning the process of returning to civilian life. I would like to explain the reasons for that today.

There are two key things happening right now that are causing this large reintegration. The first is simply time. Most of the contracts in the military are for 3-4 years if you sign up for active duty. Since we have passed the 4 year mark, the large number of people recruited during the beginning of the war are at the end of their contract and are choosing not to re-enlist. Also, many people initially extended or were recalled to service are at the end of their time as well.

The second reason is less advertised. The "Troop Surge" that happened in the beginning of 2007 is now ramping down. There are plans in the works to start bringing back thousands that were held over for the surge, including reservists and people whose contracts were extended to support the surge. These men and women will be returning to civilian life in the coming year.

There have been many men and women who have already returned from this war and are dealing with this process as we speak, but it's important to understand that we will soon start seeing a large wave of them coping with returning to civilian life. It is important that we, as a community, have an awareness of this so that we can help make that process as easy as possible. These men and women may be dealing with grief, anger, stress, and more while trying to become a functioning part of a community that they have not seen for several years.