The Yellow Birds, a novel by Kevin Powers, and ReEntry, a play by Emily Ackerman and KJ Sanchez both show the difficulties faced by returning soldiers. As Bartle tells the story of his homecoming in The Yellow Birds, we learn that he has many of the same symptoms we commonly see in returned soldiers, such as guilt, depression, and difficulty adjusting to civilian life. Returning soldiers and their families in ReEntry also show these symptoms through the words they say to the public. The format of both of these works had a big impact on what they were able to accomplish. The Yellow Birds is a novel narrated in the first person by Bartle, a 21-year-old soldier who is first deployed to Al Tafar, Iraq. In contrast, ReEntry is a docudrama and all of its dialogue is taken from interviews with Marines and Marine families. While both texts convey the same feelings and hardships faced by soldiers returning home, they do so in very different but effective ways. One of the first difficulties Bartle faces upon returning home is the "thank you for your service" dilemma. On the flight home he made a stop and Bartle took the opportunity to visit the airport bar. After the bartender offers to pay for his drinks while waving to hold up the yellow troop ribbon, Bartle hears his first taste of 'thank you' and it immediately disgusts him, "[I] didn't want to pretend I did anything except survive." (Powers 107.) The bartender was a little rude and had no idea what he was talking about, except that the Iraqi people were supposed to be the "bad guys." He seemed to think that talking negatively about those people would help Bartle somehow, but this is part of the reason why Bartle is angry and has a... medium of paper... first person and allows the reader to delve into a person's experiences, feelings and thoughts It is a more personal type of story. The reader comes to truly know and understand why Bartle reacts in certain situations. There are more metaphors in this book than in ReEntry. This docudrama uses the words of real people to support its arguments something that really happens and not just a story someone made up. The number of different types of people interviewed also gives the reader a comprehensive view of how going to war affects different types of people. The show is simpler than the book. However, the differences between these two types of works do not make either work better as they both successfully convey how difficult it is for a returned soldier to readjust to civilian life..