2023 was a year of profound change for IAVA as we reemerged from the seclusion of the COVID-19 pandemic with new leadership and a renewed focus on ADVOCACY, our core strength and impact!
As we’ve done in the past, IAVA brought the fight to Capitol Hill, mentoring veteran member advocates to ensure IAVA’s diverse and powerful voice continues to lead for change on the issues most important to post-9/11 generation veterans.
In 2023, IAVA Sr. Advisor, Matt Zeller, introduced America to a heretofore uncommon term — “MORAL INJURY.” Less obvious than physical injury, moral injury is effectively an injury of the soul.
IAVA believes that much of the moral injury and mental health crises currently experienced by veterans are caused by inaction of the US government to support our Afghan allies after the withdrawal of US forces in 2021.
The Taliban campaign of reprisal killings has led to an increase in veterans reporting moral injury from 42 percent in the summer of 2022 to 48 percent a year later. For some veterans, the burden of that guilt can be too much to bear—leading to suicide.
IAVA proudly endorsed the Afghan Adjustment Act (AAA) when it was introduced in the Senate in August 2022, yet support waned in Congress throughout 2023 as other political fights diverted attention from this serious issue.
IAVA continued to press for legislation to fix the structural flaws in the SIV program and provide a pathway to secure residency for those Afghans needing protection.
Keeping our promise to those Afghan allies who served with us would go a long way toward healing the moral injury that is debilitating our veteran community.
Allison Jaslow became IAVA’s third CEO and the first woman to lead the organization. While serving as Executive Director for IAVA in 2017, Jaslow helped put women veterans on the map with the #SheWhoBornetheBattle campaign.
“I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to be in the fight again for such an important mission and to lead IAVA into its next decade of impact,” said Jaslow.
IAVA supercharged its advocacy for veteran education benefits by submitting an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in support of the petitioner in Rudisill v. McDonough.
Always vigilant when it concerns veteran education benefits, IAVA believes a decision in favor of Rudisill would strengthen investment in our servicemembers and solidify the readiness of the U.S. military.
Always steadfast in our determination, IAVA’s advocacy for women veterans was finally validated with the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) decision to change its motto to be more gender-inclusive.
In 2017, IAVA was the first major veterans organization to make women veterans its number one priority. We launched our #SheWhoBornetheBattle campaign that same year, and have been calling for a change to the VA’s motto ever since.
In July 2023, IAVA did a quick check-in with members to record their opinions on some of the most contentious topics of the day. As always, IAVA’s policy priorities are fueled by the voices of its members.
Click below to see what IAVA members had to say!
After 19 years headquartered in New York City with a concurrent presence in Washington, IAVA chose to close its New York office and consolidate operations in Washington, DC.
With a leaner team and a renewed focus on advocacy, the proximity to Capitol Hill of IAVA’s headquarters enables us to optimize our organization’s presence and impact.
Since 2012, IAVA’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF) has provided remote care management and connections to quality resources to more than 24,000 veterans and family members.
In 2023, to optimize IAVA’s core strength in ADVOCACY, we replaced QRF by partnering with best-in-class veteran care partners focused solely on INDIVIDUAL VETERAN HELP.
March 1, 2023: As one of his last official appearances as IAVA CEO, Jeremy Butler testifies before a Joint Hearing of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees on IAVA’s annual policy priorities.
March 22, 2023: IAVA CEO, Allison Jaslow, joins CBS Mornings for their “Changing the Game” series highlighting extraordinary women who are making a difference. Jaslow shares her priorities for mental health care, learning lessons from the Iraq war, and what it means to be the first openly gay veteran to lead a major veterans organization in the U.S.
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!
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.
Building on the advocacy groundwork of previous years, IAVA’s leadership of the VSO community yielded historic results for veterans in 2022.
Finally, after considerable wrangling between the Houses of Congress, on August 10th, 2022, veterans received comprehensive legislation that includes healthcare, benefits, and a framework to address military toxic exposures, one of the signature injuries of the post-9/11 wars.
The Honoring Our PACT Act will provide health care and benefits for over 3.5 million veterans and military families.
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.
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.
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.
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.”
