On Tuesday, February 7, IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff appeared on MSNBC Mitchell Report and discussed the White House state dinner. The White House's decision to hold an event for 200 Iraq vets on February 29 is admirable, says Rieckhoff, but Iraq veterans deserve an event that everyone can participate in.
IAVA Legislative Associate Ramsey Sulayman, a Major in the Marine Corps, wrote in The New York Times "At War" blog about a video that depicted four Marines urinating on the bodies of dead militants in Afghanistan.
"Marines don’t get a pass on doing the right thing because they are in combat," he wrote. "We do the right thing because it is the right thing regardless of what those around us would allow."
On January 14, former Marine Captain and IAVA Senior Membership Associate Timothy Kudo appeared on CBS "This Morning" and spoke about a Youtube video that showed four Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban fighters.
"Every Marine was absolutely shocked by what happened," Kudo said. "Nobody would have expected something like this, not just from a unit, but any Marine in general. These actions are completely outside the norm..."
On Thursday, January 12, IAVA Senior Membership Associate Timothy Kudo was featured on CNN's The Situation Room. A former Marine Captain, Kudo reacted to a video showing four Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban fighters.
"[T]hey have to be held accountable for their actions as individuals," Kudo said.
On January 12, IAVA Senior Membership Associate Timothy Kudo spoke on NPR about a recent Youtube video that showed four Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban fighters.
A former Marine Captain who served in the very same region of northern Helmand province, Kudo spoke with the host about the incident and its repercussions. Other Marines were given the opportunity to call in and give their own opinions.
On January 12, former Marine and IAVA Senior Membership Associate Timothy Kudo appeared on CNN Newsroom. Kudo spoke with host Brook Baldwin about a video depicting a group of Marines urinating on the bodies of three dead Taliban.
IAVA issued a statement condemning the actions of the four Marines in the video. "For 10 years, our troops have served honorably in unimaginably tough conditions-and they continue to do so in Afghanistan and around the world. This incident does not reflect the service, leadership and honor of our new generation of veterans."
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.
Air Force veteran and IAVA Senior Fellow Matt Colvin writes in Stars and Stripes how the Dover Air Force Base scandal has done a disservice to the Air Force’s legacy and to all service members who put on the uniform. Donning the uniform is both a great privilege and a weighty responsibility.
On December 31, IAVA spokesmen Rajiv Srinivasan appeared on PBS's "Ideas in Action" and discussed how Americans can better help their veteran peers when they return from Iraq and Afghanistan.
With the wars winding down, tens of thousands of veterans are returning home to high levels of unemployment and invisible injuries. Watch below to learn more about the challenges facing new veterans, and what kind of skills new veterans bring to the table with their unparalleled work ethic, decision-making and dedication.
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.
