Do you know someone in the military? Has he or she been sent overseas? These brave people work far from home to serve our country. It can be scary to have someone you love, such as a parent, in a war zone. It can also be hard when a service person returns home after an injury.

More than 31,000 U. S. troops have been wounded in action in Iraq. About 4,000 have been wounded in Afghanistan.

In honor of Veterans Day, Nov. 11, The Mini Page talked with medical people in the military to find out some of the new ways America is helping its wounded troops.

Families

When a service person is injured, it can be hard for the families, too. Sometimes a parent, brother or sister returning home might seem different. They might be hurt, or they might have bad moods.

Injured service people may not only be dealing with physical (FIH-zi-kul), or body, injuries, but they also may be having trouble dealing with their feelings. They may have seen terrible things in the war. These things may still be bothering them.

Handling some bad feelings

Injuries might make it hard for service people to talk or walk. This can make the person sad, angry or scared.

For a while, returning parents could be angry or jumpy. They might need to spend more time alone.

The parents still love their kids as much. They may just need some time, and some help, to learn to be at home again.

War keeps hurting

When service people have been in a war, they may have seen or experienced bad things. Some may have seen death.

When service people return home, they might feel as if nobody understands what they’re going through. They can feel set apart from everybody. They need support from their family and community.