The return of thousands of U.S. soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan means that for many of them, the war is over. But that return marks only the beginning of a new battle — the endless spiral of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), interpersonal conflicts, unemployment, and a variety of physical and mental health problems. And like veterans of the Vietnam and Gulf wars before them, their struggle now is how to fit back into society. Vietnam veteran and author JT Caldwell knows this struggle intimately, and will reveal to your audience the difficulty vets (and their families) face as they attempt to return to their former lives.

Speaking frankly, he’ll discuss:

• The warning signs of PTSD and how to seek treatment.

• What politicians and the Pentagon aren’t doing for our soldiers.

• Why so many vets want to go back to Iraq and Afghanistan ... after they’ve gotten home.

• Key ways the average American can help our vets.

CREDENTIALS: Caldwell’s return from Vietnam to life as a husband and music professor at Central Michigan University was affected for years by PTSD, which he
ultimately conquered. Recently, he has developed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a result of wartime exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange. He is an outspoken critic of the U.S.’s treatment of war veterans and is politically active in Michigan. THE CHAPLAIN’S ASSISTANT: God, Country and Vietnam is his first novel.

AVAILABILITY: Michigan, nationwide by arrangement and via telephone
CONTACT: JT Caldwell, (989) 560-1174 (MI); jtcaldwell1@gmail.com; www.thechaplainsassistant.com