MADISON, Wis. -- It was only a regular garbage bag, but just the sight of it made John Osborne's heart pound.

The 26-year-old senior at the University of Wisconsin-Madison had served 15 months in Iraq and the veteran thought for a moment the trash bag would blow up.

UW System officials said that they recognize that some returning veterans might struggle to make the transition from U.S. Army life back to civilian life.

Robert McGrath is the head of UW-Madison's Counseling and Consultation Services. He said his center can help veterans adjust to relation issues and classroom settings.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs officials said most veterans do fine with the transition, but others might need more help.

Veteran Andrew Sawyer is a UW-Madison senior from Green Bay who served four years with the U.S. Air Force. He said veterans prefer to open up with each other because fellow vets can understand what they're going through.