Four people.

One soldier. One sailor. One airman. One Marine.

All working at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center – the medical epicenter for wounded troops coming from Iraq and Afghanistan on their way to the States.

In August, Stars and Stripes spent a day with each of the four to see the hospital, the wards and the patients through their eyes and to listen.

One nurse. One physical therapist. One surgeon. One liaison.

One in her twenties. One in his thirties. One in her forties. One in his fifties.

The stories delve into their work, their lives, their motivations and their emotions.

“How's it affected me?” said Navy Cmdr. Gail Crutcher, a physical therapist who keeps a diary of his time at Landstuhl. “I think in a positive way. If it doesn’t affect you, you’re not human.”

Four people.

Four stories.