Killeen, Texas - The small, unobtrusive house stands blocks from the world's largest US Army base, but the mood is worlds away. Anti-war posters adorn the walls alongside news clippings of soldiers who have committed suicide or crimes since returning from Iraq or Afghanistan. This is Under the Hood, an anti-war coffeehouse for soldiers and veterans opposed to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, modelled on similar settings during the Vietnam War when the anti-war movement drew several thousand soldiers to join Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
Cynthia Thomas, 36, was driven to start the coffeehouse in conjunction with Iraq Veterans Against the War after enduring multiple deployments of her soldier husband of 17 years, who served in the first Gulf war and the current Iraq war.
On the second of his three deployments to Iraq over the past six years, he was severely wounded, suffering a traumatic brain injury and a fractured back when a vehicle he was travelling in rolled over, she said. The subsequent decision of her stepson to enlist in the marines was too much for her to bear.
"I realized our children would be fighting these wars," she said of the years-long fight in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Since an army psychiatrist opened fire Thursday on soldiers undergoing medical evaluations prior to deploying overseas, the subject of stress on troops has drawn increased attention and prompted Under the Hood to extend its hours.
Thomas said that she hopes after the tragedy that many people would pay more attention to the ugly issues of war, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which contributes to a slew of problems, such as suicide, within the ranks.
"It's not just our military. It's not just our base. It's our country. We are all letting it happen," she said.
Indeed, the Army has reinforced its efforts to reach out to soldiers and boost treatment for those suffering after the trauma of war and repeated deployments.
General George Casey, the army's chief of staff, pointed to efforts begun two years ago to reduce the stigma of seeking help after trauma, which have resulted in a 40-per-cent increase in soldiers coming forward.
"We have also worked very, very hard to enhance what we are doing - for the mental fitness of the force," he said Sunday on the NBC television network's Meet the Press news programme.
He also noted efforts to study suicides within the army.
The issue has been a large focus of the coffeehouse since it opened this year, offering to connect soldiers with counsellors to address psychological combat wounds and to provide a setting to discuss difficult issues with each other.
Half a dozen young men and women typically gather here each evening, especially on weekends, to chat, check their e-mail and play videogames.
But an anti-war setting was not a popular idea in the patriotic community of Killeen, Texas, just outside the army's Fort Hood, and she had trouble even finding a real estate agent to help find a site, Thomas said.
Still she said she hoped to offer a place for young soldiers to come together with like-minded troops as well as to connect them with counsellors and educate them about their rights. The centre is one of just three in the country.
"A lot of people love to hear soldier stories when they are happy hero stories but don't want to hear what happens over there," she said.
Michael Kern is one of those who only has sad stories to tell of his year in Iraq. He recalls killing an Iraqi child who was a bystander during a firefight, something that haunts his dreams and has given him PTSD.
He said he feels the disorder could have contributed to Thursday's shooting by Nadal Malik Hasan, the alleged gunman who appeared to be upset about his upcoming deployment to Afghanistan and might have been burdened by stories of the soldiers he had counselled.
The Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that 12 to 20 per cent of Iraq war veterans and 6 to 11 per cent of Afghanistan vets experience PTSD.
The facility also draws those who have not yet experienced combat but know they are opposed to the war.
Geoff, a young enlistee who asked that his last name not be used, has kept his opinions secret from his commanders but said he hopes to receive conscientious objector status before a deployment.
He admitted the soldiers at the coffeehouse hold a distinctly minority view among their comrades and characterized most of his fellow enlisted soldiers as apolitical. On post, most express support for the mission while admitting to increased stress from frequent deployments.
Geoff has been against the Iraq war since the beginning - even protesting in Washington before the 2003 invasion. Yet he still decided to join the army to help pay for college with the hopes he could avoid being sent to a combat zone.
Instead, his unit, which lost four soldiers in Thursday's shooting, is to be sent to Afghanistan in January.
