2022

IAVA: A legacy of winning

Select a year from the list below to learn about IAVA’s impact during that time.

 

2022

From local grassroots events to a “fire watch” on the U.S. Capitol steps, IAVA’s fierce advocacy resulted in passage of the largest veteran health care legislation ever!

Leading the Conversation

Undeterred by setbacks in the Congressional process, IAVA kept up pressure on legislators, collaborated with other organizations to magnify the collective veteran voice, and called out hypocrisy where needed.

22,000+

By December 2022, IAVA had served more than 22,000 clients through our Quick Reaction Force (QRF), IAVA’s one-stop-shop solution providing remote care management and connections to quality resources for all veterans and family members.

Winning for Veterans

Building on the advocacy groundwork of previous years, IAVA’s leadership of the VSO community yielded historic results for veterans in 2022.

2022: IAVA HAS ITS BIGGEST WIN EVER

2022: Another Historic Year for Advocacy

Jon Stewart brought passion to the fight

The comedian Jon Stewart, who has advocated for 9/11 first responders and military veterans for years, excoriated Republican lawmakers outside the Capitol after the failed Senate vote on the PACT Act in July, 2022, angrily describing their opposition to the bill as “an embarrassment to the Senate, to the country, to the Founders.”

READ & WATCH

988 Lifeline Finally Launched

In July 2022, IAVA applauded the launch of the new 988 Mental Health Crisis Lifeline/Veterans Crisis Line (VCL).

The National Suicide Hotline Designation Act (S. 2661), was signed into law on October 17, 2020, designating 9-8-8 as the national suicide prevention and mental health crisis hotline.

The new service helps ensure that individuals and families, including veterans, experiencing mental health distress are able to easily access help and resources.

Afghan Adjustment Act

IAVA proudly endorsed the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) when it was introduced in the Senate in August 2022, joining forces with Afghan Allies in the U.S. to strongly advocate for its passage.

“The Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) is a vital piece of legislation because it will fix the structural flaws in the SIV program and provide a pathway to secure residency for those Afghans needing protection. We will fight to ensure that our country keeps its promise to those who served us,” said Matt Zeller, Senior Advisor for IAVA.

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Afghan Evacuation Survey

On August 15, 2022, the anniversary of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, IAVA, in partnership with the Association of Wartime Allies (AWA) and Veterans For American Ideals (VFAI), announced the results of the Afghanistan Evacuation Survey which focused on our community’s engagement with the evacuation and how the evacuation and ongoing resettlement efforts continue to impact veterans and our wartime allies.

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Events: Bringing Veterans Together

VIRTUAL FLY-IN

IAVA’s fight for veterans does not stop, even during a global pandemic. Building on last year’s successes, our incredible Member Advocates joined us February 7-9, 2022, as IAVA hosted our signature Virtual Fly-In on Zoom and Facebook Live to reach the largest audience possible while also ensuring the safety of all involved.

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PACT Act Fire Watch

In the first week of August 2022, after five days of an around-the-clock “fire watch” on the Capitol steps by veterans, the GOP lawmakers who were blocking the Honoring Our PACT Act finally relented and allowed this historic legislation to move forward. IAVA played a leadership role in galvanizing the veteran community to stand up to Congress. And it worked! We showed the country that veterans are a force to be reckoned with.

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#AAAFireWatch

What started as a small protest on the U.S. Capitol grounds, quickly grew into something bigger and more tailored to the occasion. As Congress was going on recess, leaving D.C. for their local hometown districts, veteran advocates and Afghan allies joined forces to take the “Fire Watch” on the road!

To build support for the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) across the country, advocates drove THOUSANDS of miles to meet with legislators on their home turf.

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Facebook Live with Myriad Genetics

In keeping with IAVA’s commitment to veteran mental health, IAVA’s Associate Director, Government Affairs, Kaitlynne Yancy, hosted a very enlightening discussion about the importance of seeking mental health treatment and the valuable treatment insight available with the GeneSight® Psychotropic test from Myriad Genetics. This genetic test informs clinicians about how a patient’s genes may impact how they respond to medications commonly prescribed for mental health conditions.

WATCH HERE

2022 Leadership Awards Presented In Person

After two years of not meeting in person due to the COVID pandemic, IAVA was thrilled to once again mingle with donors and veteran allies in an intimate restaurant setting for a scaled-down version of our annual Heroes Gala.

The 2022 IAVA Civilian Leadership Award was presented to Susan Marenoff-Zausner, the President of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum.

The 2022 IAVA Veteran Leadership Award was given to General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.) and Command Sergeant Major Marvin L. Hill (US Army, Ret.).

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Veterans in Action

VSOs UNITED ON MENTAL HEALTH

IAVA’s CEO, Jeremy Butler, joined other Veteran Service Organization (VSO) leaders to present a united message on veteran mental health.

WATCH HERE

PACT ACT PROCEDURAL ISSUE EXPLAINED

Tom Porter, IAVA’s EVP of Government Affairs, joined WGOW Radio to explain the process of passing the PACT Act and break down the details of the issue that almost caused it to fail!

LISTEN

THE LARGEST VETERANS HEALTHCARE BILL EVER!

IAVA Veteran Leader, Eric Donoho, and IAVA EVP of Government Affairs, Tom Porter, recapped the major significance of the PACT Act on Maryland Public Broadcast Television with Nancy Yamada.

WATCH HERE

IAVA RATED 4 STARS!

Reaching a major goal for the organization, IAVA was once-again rated a 4-STAR CHARITY by Charity Navigator, the leading charity rating organization in America.

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OP-ED: BREAKING THE CYCLE OF VETERAN HOMELESSNESS

IAVA CEO, Jeremy Butler, sounded off in TriplePundit on the issue of veteran homelessness, presenting a holistic approach to the problem and citing pending legislation with real solutions.

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Video Highlight

"Veterans Are Suffering Moral Injury"

IAVA Senior Advisor, Matt Zeller, joined José Díaz-Balart on MSNBC to discuss the cause and effect of Moral Injury – “an injury of the soul” – after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.

 

IAVA History

Select a year from the list below to learn about IAVA’s impact during that time.

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