Media

Houston Vets Unite Following IAVA’s “Storm the Hill” in DC

March 30, 2014
Press

Houston, TX (March 31, 2014) – Coming after a week in Washington, D.C. with Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) pushing Congress and the Administration for stronger policies to combat veteran suicide, on Monday morning at 8am, IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff will attend a membership breakfast with other Houston-area IAVA members.

Local vets can RSVP here to the membership breakfast.

During IAVA’s 10th annual “Storm the Hill” a team of 32 veterans from across the country met with the White House, Congress, the VA and the Pentagon, to share IAVA’s recently released 2014 Policy Agenda for veterans. The agenda lists important issues and proposed solutions for some of the main challenges facing veterans who have returned from war over the last decade, including the number one issue of veteran suicide. Read the 2014 IAVA Policy Agenda here.

There are more than 85,000 Houston-area veterans, including more than 15,000 who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Houston veterans face a number of critical challenges. More than 350,000 veterans are stuck in the VA backlog, including more than 15,500 in the Houston regional office, who are waiting more than 125 days for a claim. The average wait time here is 166.7 days. In Texas, as well as across the country, suicide is a top concern for new veterans: at least 22 veterans commit suicide every day, and a recent study found that the suicide rate among young male veterans rose by 44 percent in the past three years.

WHO: IAVA Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff

Houston veterans

WHEN: Monday, March 31st at 8 AM

WHERE: The Breakfast Klub, 3711 Travis at Alabama, Houston, TX 77002

Note to media: Please contact press@IAVA.org to attend Monday morning’s membership event or schedule an interview with Paul Rieckhoff.

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the nation’s first and largest nonpartisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and has more than 270,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide. Celebrating its tenth year, IAVA recently received the highest rating – four-stars – from Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator.

###