Army of One. Six American Veterans After Iraq : this book tells the story of six American soldiers whose lives, and the lives of their families, have been irreversibly altered by the war in Iraq. Five of the men portrayed in this book have been officially diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
The war in Iraq officially began on March 19, 2003 and lasted eight and a half years, until December 2011. There were 2.16 million U.S. troops deployed in combat zones. Roughly 4,500 U.S. service members died while serving in Iraq and nearly 30 percent of all returning veterans have PTSD.
This project breaks down numbers and statistics and focuses on the single soldier: the lone-standing “Army of One.” What story does he want to tell? Many soldiers suffering from PTSD are left completely alone, trying to come to terms with a conflict in which the American public gradually lost interest.

From 2006 to 2012, Real spent time with six men who served in Iraq and whose lives have been irreversibly altered by the war. Through intimate photographs and in-depth interviews, Real tells their stories. “Army of One,” the since-retired recruitment slogan, suggests that, by taking your future into your hands, you will be as powerful as an army. Yet, for many soldiers, it has come to mean exactly the opposite. A single diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder can cost up to $1.5 million over a soldier’s lifetime, and many are left to suffer this condition alone―the lone warrior fighting a war he or she may never win. Real’s photographs capture the difficulties the men have faced since returning and how, in turn, the consequences of the combat experience have carried over to affect their families and other aspects of their civilian lives.