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Upon returning home from combat, many veterans struggle to transition to civilian life, but one pair of men believe they have found an effective outlet. Steven Manchester and  Lino Rego have both penned books since leaving the service and credit the practice with helping them overcome their struggles, The Standard-Times reports.

Rego and Manchester, both from Massachusetts, have taken different approaches to writing, however. For instance, Manchester's first book, "The Unexpected Storm," focused on his personal experience in combat, while Rego's told the story of World War II veteran Leo St. Onge. Despite the differences between stories, each were fulfilling experiences.

"I wanted to share the experience, what happened to me," Manchester told the newspaper. "It was kind of a catharsis for me."

The experience of Rego and Manchester may help lawmakers as they look for ways to make the transition from soldier to civilian a bit easier. Both the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are working on programs to lower veteran suicide and unemployment rates, The Miami Herald reports.

Among the joint programs the two departments have been working on is a veteran crisis hotline. Officials say an average of 300 vets are referred to health services each month since the hotline launched in 2009.