IAVA has continued its advocacy efforts over the past two weeks by meeting with members of the House Veterans Affairs Committee and Armed Services Committee, creating relationships, and gaining knowledge on what new legislation will be introduced soon. 

Student Veterans of America’s (SVA) annual conference, NatCon, was a huge success. IAVA’s Kaitlynne Hetrick participated on a panel with several other women veteran leaders to discuss their successes and what advice they had for those wanting to engage their student veteran communities. Read more about the conference HERE. 

On February 24th IAVA hosted a Facebook Live event with Team Rubicon and Dr. Kavita Patel from the Brookings Institution to discuss the Veterans Coalition for Vaccination (VCV). The event touched on the VCV’s efforts, common myths about the COVID-19 vaccines, some questions from our viewers, and much more! Earlier this month, IAVA joined five other leading veterans organizations—Team Rubicon, SVA, Team Red, White & Blue, The Mission Continues, and Wounded Warrior Project to create the VCV, an alliance aiding local and state officials in distributing the COVID-19 vaccine nationwide. You can watch the full video HERE.

On February 19th, a TikTok video went viral that was produced by a female Marine in distress over a personnel decision made by her command. Her video, as well as the countless stories that have surfaced over the last year, have underscored the need to finally pass the IAVA-backed Military Justice Improvement Act, which would remove decisions to prosecute serious crimes like sexual assault from a servicemember’s chain of command and give it to independent, trained prosecutors. IAVA released a statement highlighting the need for legislative and cultural change. You can read more about this situation HERE and IAVA’s statement HERE.

Finally, this Thursday, March 4th, at 10 AM EST IAVA’s CEO Jeremy Butler will give his annual testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veteran Affairs Committees. His testimony will allow IAVA to inform Congress on what our legislative priorities are for the year. Be sure to tune in on Thursday morning HERE to watch.

IAVA’s Quick Reaction Force 

We know that this time can be stressful and IAVA’s Quick Reaction Force (QRF) is here to help! This program provides 24/7 peer support, comprehensive care management, resource connections, and can help with accessing your VA benefits. To get connected to a Veteran Care Manager for immediate help anytime, day or night, please call 855-91RAPID (855-917-2743) or fill out our online form. Our services are remote, free, and confidential and QRF is here for all veterans, regardless of era, discharge status, or location. If you are a veteran or a veteran family member facing challenges or have questions, QRF is here to help you get back on your feet and meet your goals.

If you are currently experiencing a crisis please contact the Veterans Crisis Line at 1.800.273.8255, and press 1. Alternatively, use the Crisis Text Line by texting “RISING” to 74174