As a new generation of U.S. war veterans returns home, organizations aimed at helping injured troops and their families are turning to the Web to get their message out.

Among those are Operation Homefront, which helps military families with emergency financial support including food, baby items and car repairs, and the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs and services to severely injured service members.

Those on the front lines of helping to heal the physical and mental wounds of the country’s newest veterans say they have much to learn and to gain from MySpace, YouTube and even Microsoft’s Xbox Live online gaming service, which each connect millions of like-minded users with the latest Web technology.

The Coming Home Project’s Joseph Bobrow, whose group offers support and stress management workshops for veterans and their families, is based in the epicenter of Web 2.0. He’s looking to help overcome soldiers’ post-homecoming isolation by offering them an online way to meet and communicate with others in the same situation.

Dr. Larry Albers, chief of mental health at the VA Medical Center in Long Beach, California, says young soldiers grap pling with the psychological trauma of war are not big fans of group therapy, but they are very computer savvy. Many soldiers use e-mail and Web-enabled video phone services to stay in touch with family at home.

“They are much more comfortable on MySpace than on my couch,” he said.

(Photo: Reuters/Jorge Silva)
Updates with link to Coming Home Project