Many of us recently heard about the death toll surpassing 4,000 American troops in the Iraq war.

But what we often don't hear about are the casualties that occur back on the home front — not combat deaths, but the loss of livelihood and a sense of normalcy for troops who return to civilian life burdened with mental health issues.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is a harsh consequence of military service for an estimated 25 million war veterans in this country.

Over the years it's been dubbed shell shock, war neurosis and combat stress, but any way you name the condition, it's a problem we need to take seriously.

We hope our recent series on PTSD will help make a difference for soldiers and their families who know this harsh reality first hand. And we hope the rest of our readers will have a greater appreciation for the full realm of sacrifices our soldiers make in the name of protecting our freedom.

Our safety comes at a price that includes much more than multiple deployments and harsh living conditions. Soldiers

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see, hear and smell death all around them — and sometimes they're responsible for it.

Their moral values are tested, as is their physical and emotional strength. Each day there is a chance he or she could be the next number in the death toll.

It's no wonder our troops return to us with so many issues that need to be addressed.

Many are brave enough to ask for help; others simply cannot come to terms with the trauma they've endured. It can affect work and relationships, sleep and communication.

PTSD and other problems go hand in hand — alcohol abuse, homelessness, domestic abuse and other criminal behavior are common.

Flashbacks can jerk soldiers back into a war zone, an experience ignited simply with a certain smell or the pop of a firecracker. It's not a healthy way to live, and even though there may not be treatment that fully can take away the pain and suffering, we hope that by putting the issue in the spotlight that more veterans will make the effort to try to have the best life possible.

Get help. It's nothing for which anyone should be ashamed.

We encourage family members to seek help in understanding a condition that only will become more widespread as war rages on in the Middle East and more soldiers are pulled into battle. It's not going to go away, and we hope the government continues to make strides in providing adequate care and facilities for our veterans in order to arm them against PTSD as best as possible.

We also thank the veterans who were willing up open to our reporter, Alysa Landry, and photographers Lindsay Pierce and Lucas Ian Coshenet. Their stories are the only way we can keep the issue front and center — and that's our duty to our troops.