The recent Boston Marathon attacks are believed to have resulted in several amputation injuries. However, for these victims, life with a prosthetic device is likely to be much easier, than has been the case in the past. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have contributed to tremendous advances in prosthetics technology, and today, veterans, as well as civilians, have access.

There is a new generation of veterans that is being welcomed in the United States, as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wind down, and thousands of soldiers return home. However, there are stark differences between this generation of vets and the generation that returned from Vietnam. Many troops are now female. Also, many veterans are members of the Reserves.