I recommend reading this very good article from Iraq War veteran Edgar Rodriquez on Tom Ricks’ site about the issues veterans face once they leave the military:

In the past, when speaking to people about the struggles veterans face, I would sometimes say, “People are all about supporting the troops, so long as they don’t actually have to care.” And while that statement may seem mean and cynical, I thought it held a great deal of truth. I still do.   [Best Defense]