Picking Up The Pieces

Raquel knew she wanted to be a soldier before she started elementary school. Whanja only thought about joining the military, when her partner ran her into untenable debt. Daniela wanted to break free from family poverty. Linda wanted to see the world in the military, but it turned her into recluse.

They served the United States military home and in the war zone. They all left the service broken inside. Some suffer from post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, others also from Military Sexual Trauma, having been brutally assaulted by their military colleagues. They all are working hard to heal.

One in five new recruits are women. Well over quarter of a million American women have served in Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts. Until recently, they were not regarded being in combat, although in today's war zones battle line is everywhere.

Recently, United States has started to wake up to the fact that its warrior women return home shattered, suffering from PTSD, sexual trauma and a shock of returning to worsening economic climate: battling to find job, housing and adjusting to the different sense of normality compared to war. You don't see many of them living in the streets. They may sleep on a friend's couch or in their car. They may not be able to control their emotions. But there is a danger and fear of a new Vietnam-like generation that ends up on the streets within a few years, if there is no safety-net to catch them if they fall.

In this multimedia story, you can follow women veterans' path to arms and back to civilian life again. They all have looked for solutions to find their feet again. You can also choose to follow paths of solutions, war experiences, PTSD or other specific issues. As a reader, you can choose how and what you find out in this multimedia report.