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 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 15, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta attended a ceremony in Baghdad which officially concluded the American war in Iraq. IAVA Senior Membership Associate Timothy Kudo, an OIF/OEF veteran and a former Captain in the Marine Corps, reacts to the news that the war is over.
"I think everyone that served over there is going to look back on this... as a defining moment in their generation," Kudo affirmed.
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.
In an interview with Howard Fineman for the Huffington Post, IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff spoke about his work advocating for veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Rieckhoff addressed the challenges facing the newest generation of veterans and the leadership lessons that can be gleaned from their experiences overseas.
On 11/11/11, hundreds of IAVA Member Veterans marched in the 2011 New York City Veterans Day parade. IAVA Founder and Executive Director talks about the energy surrounding the event and what Veterans Day means to the organization.
On Saturday, October 22 IAVA Senior Legislative Associate Tom Tarantino appeared on MSNBC and reacted to the news that all U.S. troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the year. “It’s time that we as a country take this announcement as a call to action, to step up and serve those who have served us,” he said.
On October 21, IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff went on CNN and reacted to the news that all troops will be out of Iraq by the end of the year. "It's a really poignant time," he said. "Many of us gave large parts of our lives—some gave all—in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom." Click here to read IAVA's statement on the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq.
On the 10th anniversary of the war, IAVA's Senior Membership Associate Timothy Kudo joined CBS The Early Show to talk about his service in Afghanistan and why our country needs to double down in its commitment to support our returning troops.
