FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2025

CONTACT: press@iava.org

To the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Community,

In 2021, during the chaos of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, many in our community stepped up to personally ensure that promises were kept to those who risked their lives for us, and it’s time to do it again. Today, we’re proud to share something deeply important with you.

Together with Shawn VanDiver, President of AfghanEvac, I’ve co-authored an open letter to the American people calling on all veterans—and all those who believe in keeping our promises—to stand in solidarity with our Afghan allies as they face mounting threats, including unjust detention by ICE. 

We’ve launched Battle Buddies, a joint initiative between IAVA and AfghanEvac, to organize veteran presence at immigration hearings across the country, to stand shoulder to shoulder with those who stood shoulder to shoulder with us. We are showing up—not to protest, but to bear witness. Not to shout, but to stand. And to take action with  the 72% of IAVA veteran members who say more should be done to help our Afghan allies, not less. 

📝 Read the full open letter here: https://afghanevac.org/battle-buddies-letter

🔗 Sign up or share the effort: https://afghanevac.org/battle-buddies

🔗 Let us know you have a court date: https://afghanevac.org/battle-buddies-court-date

This effort is grounded in the same principles that have always defined IAVA: servant leadership, integrity, and keeping promises to those who put it all on the line for America. The open letter makes clear what we’re seeing, how we are responding, and why your continued service matters now more than ever.

Please read it. Share it. Talk about it in your circles—especially among veterans and civilians ready to step forward. We know this work is heavy. But we are not alone. And neither are our Afghan allies.

In solidarity,
Kyleanne Hunter, PhD
CEO, IAVA
(on behalf of myself and Shawn VanDiver, President of AfghanEvac)