WASHINGTON, Nov. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Army Lt. Melissa Stockwell was in Iraq for only three weeks when an enemy bomb tore through her left leg. All her life she had admired the American flag and wanted to serve her country but now the first female amputee of the Global War on Terror had to adjust her plans.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20081106/NETH037 )

Thanks to her resiliency and support from others, only three years later Stockwell carried the flag in Beijing as the Paralympic athlete who once broke the American 400 meter female freestyle record.

40,000 Americans have been injured in this war, 300,000 will have post-traumatic stress disorder, and 320,000 are at risk for traumatic brain injuries. The reintegration process for many of these wounded warriors will be complicated because much of the information they need will be difficult to locate. But a new book - just released in time for Veterans Day - can help veterans find this information.

The book, Returning Wars' Wounded, Injured, and Ill: A Handbook reassures readers that they are not alone in their pain and offers guidance on every step of the way from recovering from injuries, managing the rehabilitation process, to moving on with life including finding a job or furthering education.

The fifteen contributors to the book have either served in the military or provided services to soldiers. The book was edited by Nathan Ainspan, an industrial psychologist, and Walter Penk, a clinical psychologist with 45 years at the Veterans Administration.

Ainspan and Penk are donating their proceeds from the first year of the book's sales to The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project which provides wounded service members with athletic activities to help in their rehabilitation and reintegration.

Stockwell, who appears on the cover of book, owes her new life to this program: "I knew I wouldn't be myself again until I got back into sports," she reflects, adding, "with the help of these programs, I was skiing down a mountain only months after my injury and proving to myself that now I could do anything. Through sports I have gained the confidence and courage to pursue my dreams in life. I thank the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project for helping me pursue my athletic goals and for helping me realize that dreams really can come true."

Information about the book is at www.warswounded.com.

SOURCE www.warswounded.com