NEW YORK, NY (November 11, 2016) – Today, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the leading voice for the Post-9/11 generation of veterans, renews its call to unite all Americans behind our nation’s nearly 22 million veterans. IAVA will lead Veterans Day community events across the country today as part of “Operation Unite America” spanning from America’s Parade in New York City to Hartford, CT to San Antonio, TX and Las Vegas, Nevada.

“America is bigger than any election. And no matter who we voted for, we will be united today and in the critical days ahead,” said IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff. “In the military you’re trained to stick together and to lead by example–no matter what. That’s why IAVA launched “Operation Unite America” well before the polls closed. Just like our military, IAVA has always been a uniting force for people of all backgrounds and political viewpoints. Our movement stands ready as an example and a conscience–especially in our nation’s toughest times. Operation Unite America seeks to do the impossible, but we believe that uniting around our nation’s veterans will lead our country toward a brighter, less divisive future.”

In NYC today, IAVA and more than 1,000 of its members will be joined in “America’s Parade” by Under Secretary of the Army Patrick Murphy and actor Ron Perlman. IAVA is also proud to join parade organizers, the United War Veterans Council and this year’s three parade Grand Marshals, all 9/11 First Responders and Post-9/11 military veterans, Joe Duggan, U.S Army, Stephanie Dawson, U.S. Army and Nelson Vergara, U.S. Marine Corps.

Full details on official IAVA events nationwide can be found here.

IAVA is the leading voice of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans in Washington and communities nationwide. Led by veterans, our non-partisan advocacy work ensures that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families are supported, protected and never forgotten. Since 2004, IAVA has been a juggernaut in Washington, creating and driving the national conversation on issues ranging from Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) to women veteran issues to veteran unemployment. IAVA’s dedicated staff in Washington, D.C. leads this work, advocating on behalf of our members daily. We also train our member veterans to be powerful advocates for their community.

IAVA is focused on results and has delivered historic impacts. Every year since 2007, in an increasingly gridlocked political environment and with an extremely limited operating budget, IAVA has passed at least one major piece of groundbreaking legislation for our community ranging from the Post-9/11 GI Bill (2008), to the VOW to Hire Heroes Act (2011), to The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans (SAV) Act (2015).