Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

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The following fatalities were identified by the Department of Defense on June 4:

Lance Cpl. Joshua E. Witsman

Spc. Gerardo Campos

Staff Sgt. Alexander G. Povilaitis

Operation Enduring Freedom

OFFICIAL DoD COUNT OF:

Troops Killed in Iraq: 4475
Troops Killed in Afghanistan: 1983
Wounded in Action: 48253
Army Suicides in April: 27

June 3

Posted by:
Kate O'Gorman

Tracking Progress in the Fight Against Veteran Unemployment

In the News On Friday, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released unemployment numbers for May. The national unemployment rate ticked up to 8.2%, but the unemployment rate for new veterans rose to a whopping 12.7%, more than 4 percentage points higher than the national average. It is important to remember that the BLS sample size for new veterans is small, so we should not draw too many conclusions based on one month’s numbers. We expect these numbers to fluctuate.

May 31

Posted by:
Christina Kim

IAVA’s Next Smart Job Fair Comes to NYC on June 21

In the News First we went to San Francisco. And then Chicago. But those aren’t the only cities where IAVA is hosting one of our innovative Smart Job Fairs!On Thursday, June 21 from 8:00AM - 2:00PM, we’ll be hosting our next Smart Job Fair with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and in conjunction with the 2012 Veterans on Wall Street (VOWS) Conference in New York City.Register for the New York Smart Job Fair TODAY!

May 17

Posted by:
Jim Drury

IAVA member Moses Maddox steals the show on Letterman

In the News On Wednesday, May 16, IAVA Member Veteran Moses Maddox appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman. A former corporal in the Marine Corps, Moses talked about his experience serving two tours in Iraq, the importance of getting an education and his frustrations with his job search when transitioning out of the military. A big thank you to Dave and everyone at the Late Show for making this happen. Watch the full segment below, and check out the IAVA Store to grab some of Moses' gear!

May 11

Posted by:
Blake Henderson

IAVA Honors Military Spouses

Opinion Service members enlist. Their families are drafted.The entire IAVA family is proud to celebrate Military Spouse Appreciation Day. Celebrated the Friday before Mother's Day since 1984, our country takes this day to acknowledge and thank military spouses for the sacrifices that they make.

April 2

Posted by:
John McGlothlin

Journal of a Stormer: Day Five

Opinion Earlier this year, thirty or so soldiers sat in a classroom in Vicenza, Italy on their way out of the Army. Collectively, this group spent over fifty years deployed, but we wouldn’t even spend a full week on preparing for civilian life, as the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) had been cut from the full five days into just over three. Jill Casey, our remarkable instructor, was professional about her disappointment in this, but she was clearly concerned about the cuts it forced her to make.

March 29

Posted by:
John McGlothlin

Journal of a Stormer: Day Four

Opinion A large sign at the end of the hallway reads “I Hire Veterans.” I don’t need a job, but I needed to know which senator in the Hart Office Building had decided to make such a visible statement of support on the issue that was driving our Storm the Hill program. It turned out that the sign, with the silhouettes of a saluting man and woman, took up most of the window at the entrance of Sen. Joe Manchin from West Virginia.

May 30

Posted by:
Tom Tarantino

Protecting the GI Bill

Legislative Dispatches During IAVA’s Storm the Hill 2012, we asked Congress to protect the GI Bill by supporting legislation that would prevent predatory for-profit schools from aggressively targeting veterans. On Tuesday, the Attorneys General from 21 states asked Congress to do the same by closing the loophole in the 90-10 rule.

May 11

Posted by:
Moran Banai

Could There be a Physical Reason for the Military Suicide Epidemic?

Legislative Dispatches The U.S. Army released its monthly suicide numbers yesterday and the news is once again tragic: 27 soldiers may have taken their lives in April, one less than the 2012 high of 28 in March. Each suicide is its own tragedy, but the fact that the numbers continue to stay high, even as the Army has made fighting this suicide epidemic a top priority, raises many questions.

May 4

Posted by:
Moran Banai

What Do April’s BLS Unemployment Numbers Really Mean For New Veterans?

Legislative Dispatches This morning, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released unemployment numbers for April. While the national unemployment rate stayed about the same, according to the government, the unemployment rate for new veterans dropped from 10.3 percent in March to 9.2 percent in April. For more than a year, IAVA has been fighting to lower new veterans’ unemployment and we would love to see a dramatic drop in the rates. But this drop, unfortunately, is not statistically significant.

June 3

Posted by:
Kate O'Gorman

Tracking Progress in the Fight Against Veteran Unemployment

May 31

Posted by:
Christina Kim

IAVA’s Next Smart Job Fair Comes to NYC on June 21

May 29

Posted by:
Jason Hansman

Memorial Day 2012 with IAVA

In the News From Arlington National Cemetery to The Presidio to the USS Intrepid, IAVA members and supporters united on the ground this Memorial Day for ceremonies and parades to honor the fallen. In addition to coming together in their local communities, tens of thousands of Americans pledged to #GoSilent at 12:01pm to remember those who have served our country.

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