IAVA in the News: Women in the Military

Fox 5 DC: IAVA members honored at Washington Nationals game

Nearly 1000 IAVA member veterans and their families came together in Washington, DC to see the Washington Nationals play the Florida Marlins. They were treated to a free pre-game party with food, entertainment, appearances by Nats players, and even facepainters for the kids. A few local veterans were interviewed about the experience by the local FOX affiliate.

NPR: Female Veterans Struggle To Stay Off Streets

July 11

More than 240,000 female service members have been deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but for some female veterans, reintegrating to civilian life, and trying to find employment, has been difficult. IAVA Executive Director and Founder Paul Rieckhoff recently spoke to National Public Radio about IAVA's efforts to help our nation's women warriors transition home, and how the military and veterans health-care system can better prepare for the influx of new veterans.

Los Angeles Times: Veterans Need Care, Not Apathy

May 30

IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, Legislative Associate Tom Tarantino, and multiple IAVA member veterans were interviewed for this piece in the Los Angeles Times about the VA disability claims process. Reforming this process is IAVA's top legislative priority for 2010.

NPR: Military Sexual Trauma: A Little-Known Veteran Issue

May 13

IAVA Director of Research Erin Mulhall spoke to NPR about Military Sexual Trauma (MST). She discussed how the number of female veterans (48,000) who screened positive for MST in 2008 is probably even higher because many women are afraid to report cases of harassment or assault.

NPR: The Changing Veteran Poses Challenges For The VA

May 10

IAVA Spokesperson Carolyn Schapper was interviewed by NPR as part of a series they are doing on veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. She discussed how IAVA's Community of Veterans has helped her transition, her VA care, and being a female veteran.

Women's Health: Invisible Soldiers

April 23

Women’s Health chronicled the experiences of women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, the first generation of female soldiers to experience combat at close range. The feature details the experiences of IAVA member veterans LaTisha Bowen, Aimee Sherrod and Jennifer Hunt. The article also highlights IAVA’s "Women Warriors" report, which addresses the unique service and homecoming challenges facing female veterans. Click here to read the entire article.

Good Housekeeping: Female Vets Find VA Health Care Inadequate

March 2

As Good Housekeeping reports, female veterans continue to discover that the VA health-care system lacks the resources and initiative to care for women returning from duty.

CBS: IAVA Highlights Challenges Facing Female Veterans

February 22

A segment on CBS Evening News focused on the challenges facing female veterans, including a rise in homelessness. The segment features IAVA Member Veteran Angela Peacock and highlights data from the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issue report, "Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle," which details the unique and urgent service and homecoming challenges facing female troops and veterans. IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff asserts a central factor that leads to homelessness may be untreated injuries, including PTSD.

Air America: Inadequate Health Care Among Many Challenges Facing Today’s Veterans

October 20

Air America’s Ana Marie Cox used the IAVA issue report “Women Warriors: Supporting ‘She Who Has Borne the Battle’” as a platform to put the needs of female troops front and center. As IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff tells Cox on her program “The Inside Story,” the issues affecting women servicemembers have long been overlooked and underreported by the media.

NPR's The Takeaway: Increased Sexual Assault in the Military

October 14

A segment on NPR's The Takeaway focused on the newest issue report by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, "Women Warriors: Supporting She 'Who Has Borne the Battle.'" The report is a comprehensive overview of the unique and urgent service and homecoming challenges facing female troops and veterans. NPR delved into the report's data regarding sexual assaults — which increased nine percent last year — with the report's author and IAVA Deputy Policy Director for Research Erin Mulhall and Army Sgt. Cara Hammer, who served in Iraq and works as a Veteran Support Associate at IAVA.