On January 25, IAVA Deputy Policy Director Tom Tarantino was featured in a Bloomberg Businessweek article, "B-Schools Recruit More Veterans." The article discussed why so many new vets are using their GI Bill money to get business degress.
Tarantino spoke positively about the unique lessons vets can bring to the table. Vets “understand the concept of mission and what it means to be flexible in order to reach a goal,” he said. “Many times, their survival depended on that.”
On Saturday, January 21, IAVA Deputy Policy Director Tom Tarantino appeared on C-Span and spoke for 45 minutes about the unemployment crisis facing new veterans. With 13.1 percent unemployment in December, new vets face an economic hurdle when they return home.
Unemployment levels continue to rise for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. In December, the unemployment rate for new veterans topped 13.1 percent as the national rate declined to 8.5 percent.
On January 9, Tom Tarantino appeared on FOX News and spoke about the challenges new vets face as they transition home to high levels of unemployment.
On January 8, IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff was featured in Rolling Stone as one of twelve leaders who "gets it done" in Washington, D.C.
In 2011, Rieckhoff was part of a coalition that championed the VOW to Hire Heroes Act to near unanimous passage in Congress. It was the only jobs bill that passed all year.
On Saturday, December 31st IAVA's Senior Fellow Matt Gallagher joined MSNBC's Up with Chris Hayes for a panel discussion on the end of the war in Iraq.
On Saturday, December 17, IAVA Senior Writing Manager Matt Gallagher appeared on CNN and spoke about what the end of the Iraq War means to him and the approximately 1 million veterans who served in OIF/OND. "It's a very surreal time... for all veterans of Iraq," Gallagher said.
On Friday, December 16, IAVA Membership Director Jason Hansman appeared on NY1 and commented on the challenges some veterans face as they come home. Earlier that day, Defense Secretary Panetta attended a ceremony in Baghdad which officially concluded the American war in Iraq.
"The biggest issue that we're seeing right now is veteran unemployment," Hansman said. New veteran unemployment reached 11.1 percent in the month of November, nearly two points higher than the national average.
On Thursday, December 8, IAVA Senior Legislative Associate Tom Tarantino appeared on CNN and spoke about the end of the Iraq War and war's legacy on service members and their families.
"Coming back from combat is a process for everyone," Tarantino said. The vast majority of service members are able to rise to the challenge with the support of family and friends. IAVA's new issue report "Unsung Heroes" is a critical first step in understanding what military families face after the service members come home.
IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff was recently featured in the Fall 2011 issue of USAA Magazine. A veteran of Iraq, Rieckhoff has been a leading force in the new veterans movement since he returned home in 2004.
On Wednesday, November 30, IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff appeared on the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC and reacted to the news that several major U.S. banks illegally foreclosed on thousands of homes owned by U.S. service members. The foreclosures were particularly egregious because they occurred while the service members were deployed overseas.
“The idea that your serving in Fallujah while your house is being foreclosed back home is outrageous... it should force all Americans to ask hard questions,” Rieckhoff insisted.
