The casualties and stresses of the Iraq war are taking their toll on soldiers on and off the battlefield. In the past year, a record number of US soldiers killed themselves, reportedly due to mental disorders induced by combat tours in Iraq.  Iraqi war vets are also battling post traumatic stress syndrome, alcoholism, and falling into poverty at alarming rates.http://www.newser.com/2008 - Newseren-usNewser Feed GeneratorTue, 07 Oct 2008 6:34:00 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/35796/troop-brain-injuries-often-overlooked.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAn alarming number of US veterans are returning home from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars suffering long-term effects from concussions, the New York Time s reports. Half of those who have suffered concussions quickly recover, but others have symptoms—including memory loss and mood swings—that can resurface months after the injury.http://www.newser.com/story/35796/troop-brain-injuries-often-overlooked.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 25 Aug 2008 23:52:34 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/34086/saddams-palace-is-tourist-hotspot-for-us-troops.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIt’s impractical—not to mention dangerous—for US troops to do much sightseeing in Baghdad, but Saddam Hussein’s ruined presidential complex is one exception. As one of the few places off-duty service members can go, the palace has become a magnet for military tourists, the Wall Street Journal reports. One sergeant has even starting giving tours; so far, he’s shown 3,000 Americans through the ruins.http://www.newser.com/story/34086/saddams-palace-is-tourist-hotspot-for-us-troops.html?refid=rss_all_defaultMon, 04 Aug 2008 9:57:25 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32904/uk-hostage-in-iraq-kills-himself-kidnappers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultOne of five British hostages seized in Baghdad last year has killed himself, according to a video made by his Shi'ite captors. Seeking the release of comrades in US captivity, they blame the British government for failing to negotiate: "Foot-dragging" has hastened the captives' "psychological deterioration, pushing one of them, Jason, to commit suicide," the videotaped statement says.http://www.newser.com/story/32904/uk-hostage-in-iraq-kills-himself-kidnappers.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 20 Jul 2008 11:10:33 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/32315/did-iconic-photo-drive-soldiers-death.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA photo turned an American medic in Iraq into a hero, showing him carrying an Iraqi child to safety. But the photographer, Warren Zinn, wonders whether it also contributed to his suicide. Joseph Dwyer suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after returning from Iraq; Zinn worries, in the Washington Post , whether his fame exacerbated his pain.http://www.newser.com/story/32315/did-iconic-photo-drive-soldiers-death.html?refid=rss_all_defaultSun, 13 Jul 2008 9:26:30 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/31885/vets-slipping-into-the-bottle.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA rise in alcohol abuse among Iraq and Afghanistan veterans is worrying military officials, the New York Times reports. Counseling services for vets suffering post-traumatic stress disorder are stretched to the limit and many tormented former soldiers are turning instead to the bottle. The increase in binge drinking, and a smaller rise in illegal drug use, is blamed for a rise in crimes and other misconduct involving veterans.http://www.newser.com/story/31885/vets-slipping-into-the-bottle.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 08 Jul 2008 5:40:01 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/30191/vets-used-to-test-drugs-linked-to-suicide.html?refid=rss_all_defaultCombat veterans suffering post-traumatic stress disorder were recruited for clinical trials of drugs linked to suicide and mental disorders, ABC reports. In a trial involving the smoking-cessation drug Chantix, the VA did not warn patients of the drug's serious potential side effects until 3 months after the FDA and the drug's maker had issued warnings.http://www.newser.com/story/30191/vets-used-to-test-drugs-linked-to-suicide.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 17 Jun 2008 9:39:40 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/29760/war-spending-strategy-soak-the-grandkids.html?refid=rss_all_defaultAs Congress tackles the latest "emergency" spending bill for Iraq and Afghanistan, bringing the total to more than $860 billion, Ruth Marcus notes in the Washington Post: "For the first time in American history, every penny of that amount will have been borrowed. For the first time, billions more will have been borrowed to finance tax cuts in the midst of war. "http://www.newser.com/story/29760/war-spending-strategy-soak-the-grandkids.html?refid=rss_all_defaultWed, 11 Jun 2008 9:45:34 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/29659/post-saddam-bodybuilders-let-er-ripple.html?refid=rss_all_defaultIraqi bodybuilders have long needed nerves of steel to pump iron. Under Saddam, only officially connected Iraqis could join gyms, and the average weightlifter was forced to use makeshift equipment. But after Saddam, a flood of Iraqis seeking lucrative security jobs hit the gyms. The result? Extremists began targeting bulging biceps for working for Americans.http://www.newser.com/story/29659/post-saddam-bodybuilders-let-er-ripple.html?refid=rss_all_defaultTue, 10 Jun 2008 9:25:34 CDThttp://www.newser.com/story/29339/combat-troops-turn-to-prozac.html?refid=rss_all_defaultA growing number of American troops serving abroad are taking Prozac and other antidepressants, Time reports. A survey last year found 12% of troops in Iraq are using the drugs, with 17% relying on them in Afghanistan. The drugs help the military keep stressed combat troops in the field—but the use of the "quick-fix" for mental health is causing concern.http://www.newser.com/story/29339/combat-troops-turn-to-prozac.html?refid=rss_all_defaultThu, 05 Jun 2008 22:02:59 CDT