HEALINGOURSOLDIERSUnlockingtheSecretsofTraumaticBrainInjuryPRICETAGFORAWARMINGPLANETFLORIDAExploringtheHiddenCultureinHawaiiTheSmallStrangeLivesofMitesFEBRUARY2015OFFICIALJOURNALOFTHENATIONALGEOGRAPHICSOCIETY30TheInvisibleWarontheBrainBlast-forcebraininjuriesplagueuntoldthousandsofU.S.soldiers.ByCarolineAlexanderPhotographsbyLynnJohnson78MightyMitesMitescrawlandbreedinthestrangestplaces.Somesetupshoponbodies.Likeyours.ByRobDunnPhotographsbyMartinOeggerli90ParadiseFoundInGranParadiso,Italy’soldestnationalpark,theaimistobalancecultureandconservation.ByJeremyBerlinPhotographsbyStefanoUnterthinerTreadingWaterRisingseasaroundFloridaforetellwhatclimatechangemayeventuallydotoothercoastlines—andeconomies.ByLauraParkerPhotographsbyGeorgeSteinmetzProof|DrowningWorldAphotographerconcernedaboutclimatechangedepictsflooded-outlivesacrosstheglobe.StoryandPhotographsbyGideonMendelInthetownofKhairpurNathanShah,Pakistan,amanstandsinwaterfromthe2010floodsthatleftaboutone-fifthofthecountryinundated.PHOTO:GIDEONMENDEL54PureHawaiianTheonetimesportofislandchiefs,surfingbindsHawaiianstotheirculturalidentity.ByJohnLancasterPhotographsbyPaulNicklen106OntheCoverMarineGunnerySgt.AaronTam(Ret.)holdsthemaskhemadeinanarttherapyclassforservicemembersandveteranswithtraumaticbraininjuriesandpsychologicalconditions.PhotographbyLynnJohnson|CorrectionsandClarificationsGotongm.com/more.FEBRUARY2015VOL.227•NO.2FROMTHEEDITORHealingOurSoldiersSusanGoldberg,EditorinChiefPHOTO:LYNNJOHNSONTheArtofRecoveryAlongtimeArmyflightmedic,PerryHopmansufferedblast-forceinjurieswhilecaringforothersoldiers.AirForceStaffSgt.Robert“Bo”Wester(Ret.)wasanexplosiveordnancedisposaltechnicianinIraq.HefacedhundredsofIEDswithoutincidentandafewwithgrievousconsequences.“Mostofmyinjuriesareinvisible,andtherestarehidden,”hesays.ArmyMaj.JeffHall(Ret.)was35feetfromacarbombwhenitwentoffinacrowdedmarketplacenorthofthecityofBaghdad.Hedidn’tlosehisarmsorhislegsorsuffervisiblewounds.But“IamjustnotthesamehumanbeingasIusedtobe,”hes...
