BOISE - The 321st Engineering Battalion with the U.S. Army Reserves had an especially dangerous job in Iraq. And many of those soldiers call Idaho home. The job was to find improvised explosive device (also known as roadside bombs) and destroy them.

Their courageous work was recognized and honored in November. The 321st received the Valorous Unit Award, the second highest honor for unit in the U.S. Army.

"You're body goes through a lot of adrenaline." That's how John Greene describes what it's like to be hit by IED's. He was among those deployed to Iraq with the 321st in 2006. In fact, Green says he was involved in at least nine explosions.

"You're not afraid," Green says. "And you're not scared when it happens. You're more in shock."

But, Green says, one blast will haunt him forever.

"Knowing that the guys you worked with at the time are alive, and you're alive, because another crew took the hit," he says.

In February 2007, Green says his unit was supposed to take the lead up front on a mission to retrieve a downed Marine helicopter. But, he says his good friend, George Nickel, volunteered instead.

"And we know it's a risk every time we would be in the front truck," Green says.

But disaster struck. George Nickel's front truck was hit by an IED. Three men were killed. Nickel survived, but came home seriously wounded.

"Every, every day," says Green. "Every day that I breathe - and I'm going on - it's because that man took the hit that my guys and I were suppose to take. I know that."

Today, both Green and Nickel are back home in Idaho. But Green says both suffer from post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury. There are memory problems, depression and serious anger issues.

John Green credits his wife with keeping his anger and issues in tow.

"Well, I mean unfortunately I'm pretty tough on him," Lurinda Green says with a chuckle. "And you just realize that you know you got to stick it out."

John says his wife will prod and poke him to get him to snap out of it. "She yells," he says. "She constantly pushed me in the direction of getting help."

"Would not be sitting here talking to you if it wasn't for her. I probably be sitting in jail because you know things piss me off."

And that brings us back to George Nickel, Green's hero in Iraq.

Last July, Nickel's friends say his traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder got the best of him. Nickel could not find his dog at an apartment complex off of Vista Avenue in Boise. So, he shot a round at an apartment door.

Police say when they found Nickel in a stairwell, the war hero refused to drop his gun. Officers opened fire.

Nickel was not hit. But today, he's still in jail. His friends say to understand what really happened, you have to go back to his Army days and having his brain rattled around by those roadside bombs.

"The figures are real, real high," says Russ Spearman, senior research associate with Idaho State University's Institute of Rural Health in Meridian. He's been studying TBI for more than a decade. Spearman says the number of troops coming home from Iraq with TBI is between 20 and 30 percent.

"And I believe that we've got a responsibility to really provide training and education, and to make sure the necessary support is there," he says.

In part, Spearman says that includes educating law enforcement too.

Payette County Sheriff Chad Huff says some of his deputies have under gone training on how to deal with recognizing suspects with traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. They try and diffuse potentially explosive situations.

"In these particular instances, they're trained to ask the right questions to maybe - I don't want to say use kid gloves - but maybe just use a little softer approach," Sheriff Huff says.

Boise Police say dozens of officers also have gone through special training, not specific to veterans. Boise P.D. has a crisis intervention team - officers trained to deal with any suspect with mental health issues. A handful of those officers are suppose to be on any single shift to advice other officers in the field.

As for George Nickel, he's scheduled to be in court on Dec. 7. During his last hearing, prosecutors offered a plea deal which includes dropping most of the charges. It is unclear if any mental health treatment would be included in any possible sentencing.

One state changed a law to take into account the mental health status of veterans during criminal proceedings. In Minnesota, if a defendant is convicted, the court has to ask if he or she is a veteran. If they are diagnosed with having a mental illness, treatment can be added to their sentences.

A group called the Idaho Veterans Network says it wants to lobby Gem state lawmakers for a similar law, and have it named after George Nickel.

"People don't understand it," Lurinda Green says.

Incredibly, even the Greens say with all the difficult challenges they face, there are no regrets about serving in Iraq. It's now about adapting to life in the battle back home.

"This is our life now," Lurinda says.