Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Respond to President Obama's Announcement of a New Strategy for Afghansitan

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, March 27th, 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 the Obama Administration's review of U.S. strategy in Afghanistan:

“We welcome the Administration’s renewed focus. For months, Afghanistan has been more deadly to our troops than Iraq, but the media and the public continue to be focused elsewhere. Veterans who served there have often called it ‘Forgot-istan,’” said Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). “As President Obama has noted, troop numbers alone are not a silver bullet.  But in addition to marshalling our economic, political and diplomatic power, we must also increase our efforts on the home front.  President Obama’s plan is a significant increase in the demands on our troops, hundreds of thousands of whom are already veterans of multiple combat tours.  We must ensure that every military family  is supported during this effort, and that every service member receives the resources they have earned when they return home.”  

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.