This year's project involved an examination of whether, as happened in the wake of the Vietnam War, Iraqi war veterans were turning to drugs as a result of the trauma and pain of war.

The U.S. military maintains the percentage of soldiers abusing drugs is extremely small and has not increased as a result of Iraq.

The students' assignment was to get the unofficial side of the story from soldiers, young men of their own generation.

In a special arrangement with ABC News, Military.com will be running a series of five reports on this topic.

Watch Brian Ross' exclusive investigation, "Coming Home: Soldiers and Drugs,"
Friday on "20/20" at 10 p.m. EDT