Michael Sallah is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist whose powerful presentations on soldiers in war have captivated audiences across the country. Drawing on years of experiences in reporting about war crimes and atrocities, Sallah talks about the mental, physicial and spiritual breakdowns of soldiers in combat. Why do highly-trained soldiers cross the lines of warfare in Iraq and elsewhere to commit unthinkable crimes? The prison scandals at Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo and the killing of civilians at Haditha are not isolated incidents, but the consequences of a military establishment unprepared for the current challenges, says Sallah. The result: a growing frustration and anger among troops that has not reached this level since the Vietnam War. In this poignant and sensitive presentation, Sallah talks about the need to recognize the warning signs of a military facing its greatest challenge since the 1970s. Sallah was the lead reporter in 2003 who uncovered one of the great military secrets of the last century: the Tiger Force case -- the story of an elite platoon that dangerously spun out of control in Vietnam in 1967, slaughtering hundreds of civilians. The case was substantiated by the military in the longest war crimes case of the Vietnam conflict, but later buried by the Pentagon. Sallah and his colleagues received the 2004 Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting for exposing the events. He recently co-authored the book, Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War, (Little, Brown and Company) which is being hailed by literary critics as one of the most important books ever written about the Vietnam War. During his career, Sallah has received numerous state and national awards for his investigative stories on topics ranging from white-collar crime and clerical sex abuse to terrorism. Now investigations editor for The Miami Herald, Sallah has interviewed hundreds of veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq to explore one of the most fascinating and least understood aspects of war: Why soldiers lose control.

The Aftermath of War - Iraqi Veterans returning home:

For America, it's the other side of war: thousands of veterans returning from Iraq with crippling mental and physical injuries, including brain damage and blindness. Hundreds have lost their limbs and more veterans are showing the terrifying signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. In this sensitive and powerful presentation, Pulitzer-Prize-winning journalist Michael Sallah talks about the grim realities confronting veterans coming home -- many jobless and turning to drugs and alcohol with American taxpayers bearing the long-term costs: $650 billion. The nation is on the verge of a crisis that has not been experienced since the end of the Vietnam War, with vets waiting months for medical care and counseling from a health-care system unable to meet the most basic needs. For years, Sallah documented the plight of Vietnam vets for his book, Tiger Force: A True Story of Men and War, (Little, Brown and Company) hailed by critics as one of the most important works about the Vietnam conflict. In 2004, he was a lead reporter who uncovered one of the great military secrets of the last century: the Tiger Force case -- a Pentagon coverup of the longest war-crimes inquiry of the Vietnam War. Now investigations editor for The Miami Herald, Sallah has turned his attention to the veterans returning from Iraq while drawing on powerful parallels between the two conflicts -- and the lessons learned to help the newest generation cope in the aftermath of war.