IAVA Executive Director Responds to DHS Report

CONTACT: Chrissy Stevens (212) 982-9699 or Chrissy@iava.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 16, 2009 

NEW YORK - Today, Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the country's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, issued the following statement in response to a Department of Homeland Security report concerning rightwing extremism:

“The report on rightwing extremism issued on April 7th by the Department of Homeland Security plays into the worst stereotypes of military veterans.  There are 1.7 million veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the overwhelming majority of whom are upstanding, law-abiding citizens who proudly served their country in war," IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff said.  "As many of these veterans struggle to find jobs in this economic climate, the last thing they need is to be the subject of unfounded prejudice. We were disappointed to see that an agency that has prioritized hiring veterans would release such a report. The DHS should know better.”

To arrange an interview with IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff, please contact Chrissy Stevens, (212) 982-9699 or Chrissy@iava.org

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the country's first and largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 125,000 veteran members and civilian supporters nationwide. Its mission is to improve the lives of this country's newest generation of veterans and their families.