New York, NY (November 6, 2014) – Secretary Robert McDonald has been a breath of fresh air at VA after a very difficult time. IAVA supports his plans to modernize and improve the VA. We applaud Secretary McDonald and Undersecretary Sloan Gibson for the energy, focus and commitment they have brought to the mammoth challenge of restoring the faith after a summer of shattered trust.

But after decades of problems and neglect, IAVA members are rightfully concerned with any delays in the implementation of new laws that were passed by Congress to help them get the immediate care they need and deserve. Too many have been disappointed by poor execution of past programs–and too many are still not connected with VA–all which was reflected in the results of our 2014 Member Survey.

Since not all IAVA veterans are getting the new veteran choice cards this week, it’s too early to judge the effectiveness of this latest effort. IAVA will continue to monitor the situation and report back to the VA Secretary, Congress and the public as the program continues to be tested by our members.

We look forward to continuing to work with the new Secretary, Congress and the President to solve problems and to sharing the truth of what our members see on the ground in cities and towns nationwide. As Veterans Day approaches next week, we will also leverage nationwide efforts on the ground and online to asses the overall state of affairs in our community. And we invite all members of the media, Congress and the VA workforce to join us. After a summer of bad news, it’s an important time for us to show the world that veterans are not a problem, they are a solution.

Join us at www.iava.org and on social media using the hashtag #VetsRising.

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 nearly 300,000 Member Veterans and civilian supporters nationwide. Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, IAVA recently received the highest rating – four-stars – from Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator.

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