On February 7, IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff discussed why veterans of Iraq should be celebrated with a 'Welcome Home' parade. The Mayor of New York City and the Department of Defense have opposed a parade while U.S. troops remain in Afghanistan. The White House is honoring 200 Iraq veterans and their city with a state dinner on February 29.
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.
On Friday, January 27, IAVA Founder and Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show and discussed the upcoming "Welcome Home Our Heroes" parade in St. Louis. The first of its kind in the nation, the parade was held on Saturday, January 28 and celebrated America's newest generation of veterans. IAVA local leader Angela Peacock was on hand, organizing a local cohort of IAVA vets.
Help give every Iraq and Afghanistan vet the welcome home they deserve. Join IAVA in calling for a national event to honor the 2.4 million veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. Add your name to our petition.
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.
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, 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.
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.
