Community-Based Wounded Warrior Sustainability Initiative (CBWSI): an integrative medicine strategy for mitigating the effects of PTSD.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare system is preparing for an increase in the number of veteran patients caused by the drawdown of troops from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), many of whom suffer from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As such, it is imperative that local communities also prepare for their return. This editorial discusses the unique circumstance of the U.S. veteran with PTSD, examines groundbreaking measures made by the VA to help identify and treat veterans experiencing the invisible wounds of war, and introduces an innovative, community-based, primary care level strategy to mitigate the untoward effects of PTSD on veterans and their families, the VA healthcare system, and local communities.