MEDIA ALERT: Post-9/11 Veteran Leaders Storm the DNC

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (July 22, 2016) — Next week, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) senior leadership and veteran members will be present at the Democratic National Convention to focus the candidates and delegates on issues affecting veterans and service members.

WHAT: Leading voices of the Post-9/11 generation of veterans force Democratic National Convention attendees to speak to issues that matter to Iraq and Afghanistan War vets.

WHEN: Monday, July 25 – Thursday, July 28, 2016

WHO: Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and CEO Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Allison Jaslow, Chief of Staff Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

WHERE: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148

Additionally, IAVA members veterans and press are invited to join IAVA’s Founder and CEO Paul Rieckhoff and Chief of Staff Allison Jaslow for a VetTogether to kick off the DNC – generously hosted by Twitter Stripes.

WHAT: VetTogether

WHEN: Tuesday, July 26, 2016

WHO: Paul Rieckhoff, Founder and CEO Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Allison Jaslow, Chief of Staff Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Jeffrey Wells, Maryland Member Leader Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Thor Wold, Washington, D.C. Member Leader Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

WHERE: #TwitterDistrict at Garces Trading Co, 1111 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Paul Rieckhoff is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, the leading voice for post-9/11 veterans and their families. As a non-profit founded in 2004, IAVA’s mission is to connect, unite and empower post-9/11 veterans. Rieckhoff is a staunch political independent and IAVA is a non-partisan organization not affiliated with a political party or candidate.

On September 11th, Rieckhoff’s National Guard unit was formally activated for rescue and security operations. Later, Rieckhoff served as Platoon Leader for 3rd Platoon, B Company, 3/124th INF (Air Assault) FLNG, attached to 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division and spent almost a year conducting combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Rieckhoff was released from active duty in March 2004 and the National Guard in 2007.

A 1998 graduate of Amherst College, Rieckhoff currently resides in New York City. His first book, Chasing Ghosts, a critically-acclaimed account of his experiences in Iraq and advocacy on behalf of veterans, was published by Penguin in May 2006.

Rieckhoff is a widely sought after voice on veterans issues in the media. His recent appearances include: NBC’s “Nightly News,” CBS’s “The Early Show,” PBS’s “Tavis Smiley,” “The Charlie Rose Show,” “NewsHour with Jim Lehrer,” CNN’s “Anderson Cooper 360,” MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports”, Sunday TODAY with Willie Geist and numerous NPR programs. He has contributed to the New York Times, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, Newsweek and The Hill.

Allison Jaslow, as Chief of Staff, oversees management, operations, administration and all internal functions at IAVA. Jaslow is a former Army Captain who served two combat deployments in Iraq and has a diversity of experience that includes stints on political campaigns across the country, in the White House and on both sides of Capitol Hill.

Jaslow recently served as Chief of Staff and Campaign Manager for Congresswoman Cheri Bustos and was also Press Secretary for Senator Jim Webb where she was involved in efforts to protect the legacy of the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Jaslow has recently contributed to the Pregame Magazine Podcast, Financial Times and other veteran and military media outlets.

Jeffrey Wells is a disabled Navy Petty Officer 1st Class and active IAVA Member Leader in Maryland. He deployed to OIF twice and OEF twice. He is the founder of the Connected Warrior Foundation. Wells resides in Annapolis, MD, and is part of an active veteran community there. Wells is active in local and national advocacy efforts and takes veteran suicide prevention extremely seriously.

Thor Wold is an active IAVA Member Leader in Washington D.C.. Wold currently serves as a managing partner with Catalyst Venture Group, a venture capital and consulting firm dedicated to growing small business startups and helping other Veterans realize their business potential. Wold has also worked closely on many Veteran advocacy projects, working to bridge the gap between the VSO and Department of Veteran Affairs communities to realize goals that lead to impactful, positive change for the Veteran Community. His thoughts on Veteran re-integration and employment are featured in the book Glimpses of the New Veteran: Changed Constituencies, Different Disabilities, and Evolving Resolutions – which he proudly co-authored along with many other luminaries and dedicated advocates within the veteran community

Wold served eight years as a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman, serving two combat tours in Iraq with U.S. Marine Infantry units, where he earned a purple heart. When not actively deployed to combat zones, Wold worked as a military EMS provider, as well as an instructor in tactical emergency medicine techniques.