As troop numbers increased in Afghanistan, IAVA kept up the fight to combat suicide.
IAVA continued to drive the national conversation around veterans’ issues, especially measures that could prevent veteran suicide.
IAVA aggressively fought to pass a bill mandating every returning service member be screened for mental health injuries. Removing the stigma of seeking help and catching mental health injuries early ultimately saves more lives than all the body armor money can buy.
IAVA achieved its goal when the provisions of this bill were incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) signed on October 28, 2009.
Building on the success of our 2008 campaign, IAVA again partnered with the Ad Council to increase awareness of and support for veteran mental health. IAVA firmly believes that a proactive approach is necessary and that seeking help is not a weakness. We must remove the stigma around seeking help, ensuring that mental health injuries are addressed, in order to save veteran lives.
IAVA: Stronger Together
In June 2009, IAVA created a new video featuring Henry Rollins. It highlighted all the amazing victories won by IAVA Supporters and Member Veterans.
