Combat can come with a price - physical and psychological, sometimes minor and other times major. We're skilled at dealing with the physical wounds. But until recently, the psychological price of combat wasn't something we were very apt at handling. During the Vietnam War and its aftermath, denial was the official strategy. But the need for soldiers to serve multiple tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, plus the increased demand on reservists and members of the National Guard, has forced the services to come to terms with the mental health of its members and veterans, in and out of combat zones.

More than 2,700 members of the North Dakota Army National Guard and 1,600 members of the Air Guard have been deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq since 2001. And an unknown number of regular members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force have been in country.

Not every soldier has mental health problems when they return. But we've learned that to have these kinds of problems isn't unnatural. The question becomes one of determining the degree of problem and making sure that if a veteran has a need for help it's there.

All the service branches have developed or are developing mental health training programs for before and after deployment. The. U.S. Army's program is called Battlemind Training and aims at addressing combat-related mental health issues. It does address that critical period, "Transitioning from Combat to Home." It talks to soldiers about what to expect and, maybe, what to avoid. It acknowledges that the state of mind necessary to be successful in combat doesn't necessarily make for appropriate behavior at a class reunion or holiday party, and that it takes time to bring a person down from a combat-ready state.

Dr. Ann Rasmusson, director of the Veterans Administration Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Center in Boston, was in Bismarck-Mandan recently presenting at a Medcenter One-hosted workshop for clinical psychologists in the region. Bringing that kind of skills to mental health professionals in North Dakota can only be helpful.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms are normal after experiencing something traumatic," she said. "Symptoms usually last six weeks to three months." That is except for a small number for whom it takes longer to process.

The state Guard gets it. The Guard has three licensed social workers, a chaplain, a transition and re-entry coordinator and six outreach specialists to help returning soldiers and their families.

Taking care of American soldiers needs to be a clear priority. These efforts suggest we are doing a better job of it.