Benefits of Membership

Benefits of Membership

IAVA is free. We get things done. And with you in our ranks, we can achieve so much more.

You heard that right - membership is free. 100% free. You already paid your dues in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Second, IAVA gets things done. From uniting our community to being a force on Capitol Hill, IAVA is making things happen.

And we’re the largest community of Iraq and Afghanistan vets in the country. The larger we grow the movement, the stronger we become. And that means we can better reach and deliver services, resources and support to the 2.4 million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

- Join IAVA today. Membership is free – and it always will be.

- Connect with the largest community of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans through our vets-only online social network, Community of Veterans.


- Get looped in to on-the-ground events nationwide. In 2011, IAVA had over 350 local events to bring together our membership and the vets community.


- Gain access to IAVA’s health, education and employment programs and resource directory to best-in-class services nationwide.


- Get access to The Rucksack for free rewards exclusive to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, ranging from tickets to NFL games to test prep classes.


- Add your voice to the over 200,000 members and supporters who have already joined the movement. IAVA is building an empowered generation of vets who provide leadership for our country and their communities. Whether it’s through Storm the Hill, where we bring vets to fight for our issues on Capitol Hill, training them to lead in their local communities or having them tell their stories in the media, we put IAVA members on the front lines to lead the way for the New Greatest Generation.

- Not a veteran, but still want to get involved? Join today as a Civilian Supporter >

OUR PROGRAMS

IAVA’s programs and partnerships empower and support our community both online and offline, expand our reach and sustain our organization to make a deeper and lasting impact on veterans and their families for years to come. Our programs are scalable, flexible and durable to make a positive influence on Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in an ever-changing landscape of support and public awareness.

Through our innovative HEEC (Health, Education, Employment and Community) model we provide Assistance, Awareness and Advocacy to our members and all new veterans nationwide.

Health Programs:
We know how hard going to, and coming back from, war can be. So IAVA makes it a priority to ensure that both mental and physical health needs are being effectively addressed in our community.

IAVA has connected more than 20,000 veterans with mental health support through our programs and referrals to best in class service providers. We recently announced a partnership with the Veterans Crisis Line to help our members in their toughest times of need. The partnership will provide a direct support line for IAVA members and our staff. And that means no waiting, no bureaucracy and saving more lives.


IAVA is also focused on the health of military families. Recently, IAVA helped spearhead passage of the Caregivers Act to help our nation's full-time caregivers for wounded veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Education Support Programs:
With hundreds of thousands of new veterans headed back to school under the New GI Bill, IAVA provides them the tools and support needed to make informed decisions.

Over 560,000 veterans have already visited NewGIBill.org and used our innovative New GI Bill calculator to calculate their benefits and get one-on-one support from our New GI Bill experts on staff.

IAVA has also partnered with companies like Veritas Prep to provide scholarships to our members for college test preparation courses to support them through every stage of the education process.

Employment Programs:
No veteran should come home from Iraq or Afghanistan to an unemployment check. And to fight shockingly high joblessness rates, IAVA has stepped up in a variety of ways through our Combat to Career initiative.

This offers groundbreaking resources to our members, like providing 6,000 free business suits to veterans, helping hundreds of them navigate the job market at Smart Job Fairs and providing critical training to vets through Google Resume Workshops.

IAVA is also a force to be reckoned with on Capitol Hill. In 2011, when Washington was in a stalemate, we led the way to pass the Vow to Hire Heroes Act, our top legislative priority. This bill helped over 200,000 unemployed veterans during one of the worst economic situations in decades.

Community Programs:
Less than 1% of the country served in Iraq and Afghanistan – a stark contrast to the 12% that served during WWII. Building community, both online and on-the-ground, is a critical factor in fulfilling our mission, which means bridging geographical divides to create a united, supported and proud movement of new veterans.

IAVA built Community of Veterans (CoV) to be the first and largest online social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. CoV, which can be accessed only by paperwork-confirmed veterans, has message boards, affinity groups and resources for over 20,000 confirmed members currently inside.

On the ground – IAVA had over 350 local events in 2011 – bringing veterans together in their local areas in unprecedented numbers. We made this happen by building The Rucksack, a groundbreaking online platform that connects our members with products, services and experiences – all for free. We have already given away over 25,000 rewards. From Sierra Club wilderness expeditions to tickets for LA Dodgers games, IAVA is bringing our community together in innovative and new ways.

Leadership Development Programs:
IAVA strives to build an empowered generation of vets who provide sustainable leadership for our country and their communities. Through a variety of ways, IAVA guides vets into leadership roles to show the country that we are the New Greatest Generation.

Since 2006, IAVA has brought over 120 Member Veterans from across the country to Washington, DC for Storm the Hill. Through meeting with top lawmakers and officials on Capitol Hill, we advocate for veterans’ issues and share our own unique stories with our country’s leaders.

IAVA strives to develop our members into leaders in their communities by teaching them how to organize locally, like with Veterans Week events across the country.

We also encourage them to be influencers. IAVA knows the value of our members’ personal stories – and know that the country needs to hear them. And that’s why we train leaders across the country to be IAVA spokespeople. From CNN to FOX News, and from The New York Times to TIME Magazine, IAVA is leading from the front to make sure that our issues stay front and center in the media.

We maintain a robust resource directory for Iraq and Afghanistan vets. To gain access to even more resources and benefits, become an IAVA Member Veteran today. It’s free!