Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

Attention Lansing, Michigan veterans! We're coming to Ellison Brewery + Spirits on Friday at 5 for an evening of free beers and good conversation about the veteran vote. Join us for a fun night with fellow veterans! Spread the word to your friends and family in the Lansing area too.

RSVP: https://pintsandpatriotismlansing.eventbrite.com

The Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and democracyFIRST present Pints and Patriotism, happening tomorrow in Ann Arbor! Sip on your favorite brews while enjoying live music and engaging in lively discussions.

Get your FREE ticket here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pints-patriotism-tickets-984445762777

Week in and week out, the is always hard at work advocating for the post-9/11 generation of veterans 🤝

Read our latest Cavalry Update below:
https://iava.org/blog/2024-08-11-iava-cavalry-update/

Michigan veterans! Come join for an evening of free drinks and good conversation with fellow vets and their families, including local and our CEO. Please share with any battle buddies in Michigan.

Learn more and RSVP here for Thursday in Ann Arbor: https://pintsandpatriotismaugust15.eventbrite.com

And click here to RSVP for Friday in Lansing, at veteran-owned brewery Ellison Brewery + Spirits: https://pintsandpatriotismlansing.eventbrite.com

The VA hired 340 psychiatrists across the country in 2023, part of a hiring spree that will help the system handle the influx of toxic exposure claims. IAVA CEO Allison Jaslow shares her thoughts on continuing the momentum Military.com

The VA's 2023 Hiring Spree: A Lot of Psychiatrists To handle an influx of new patients, the VA's Veterans Health Administration hired nearly 62,000 new employees in 2023.

ICYMI, West Point - The U.S. Military Academy grad and U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant Alma Cooper became the FIRST active-duty woman to earn the title Miss USA 🙌 If this story sounds familiar, that's because she joins Miss America USAF 2nd Lt Madison Marsh.

Our military and veteran community is ascendant in so many arenas. 🙌

Task & Purpose has more:

Army officer and West Point grad crowned Miss USA Alma Cooper’s father was an armor officer in the Army. She was an honor student at West Point and serves in intelligence.

Today marks two years since the Honoring Our PACT Act became law. The full name of the reflects the duty our government has to support those who served near burn pits and other toxic exposures. Over a million vets have filed claims in the last two years. 🙌🙌👏

to when the were young soldiers, sailors and airmen out in the world. Now they continue to serve our country and community in a totally different kind of uniform, advocating for our community to leaders and change makers.

Another great call today with Senator Amy Klobuchar's office and Minnesota Cavalry member Maria Baer.

Maria led a conversation with staff about our priorities: alternative therapies, having the backs of our Afghan Allies, and supporting women veterans. Nice work 👏

On Purple Heart Day, we want to express our gratitude and salute those from our generation of veterans who have earned Purple Hearts, the oldest decoration for military merit.

JR Martinez is a former IAVA board member and all around great guy. After the humvee he was driving ran over a roadside bomb, JR was trapped inside and suffered severe burns. “The one award I did not want to receive was the Purple Heart, but I got one anyway.” Since then he’s gone on to be a successful actor and speaker. J.R. Martinez

U.S. Marine Corps veteran Kyle Carpenter is known for being the youngest living Medal of Honor recipient after saving a fellow Marine from a gr***de, at the cost of his right eye and serious injuries. Kyle is a great representative of our generation of veterans 🙌

Senator Tammy Duckworth joined the Army Reserve and chose to fly helicopters, one of the few combat jobs open to women at the time. She received a Purple Heart when both of her legs were amputated after an attack on her bird by Iraqi insurgents. Sen. Duckworth met with some of our Cavalry in March and it was great to hear her firsthand responses to our proposals.

BREAKING: IAVA applauds Vice President Harris for heeding our call and selecting a veteran to join her in her bid for Commander-in-Chief. We are now guaranteed a Post-9/11 veteran in the White House come January 2025.

The Post-9/11 generation of veterans is ascendant in America today. This is what we mean by .

Full statement on the selection of Army veteran Governor Tim Walz: https://iava.org/press_releases/post-9-11-veterans-on-harris-heeding-our-call-to-add-veteran-to-presidential-ticket/

For our statement on JD Vance's candidacy: https://iava.org/press_releases/post-9-11-veterans-on-vance-joining-republican-presidential-ticket/

Are you an official part of IAVA’s mission? Join our fight (and our email list) today to get involved. Future Cavalry members start here, too.

Veterans and allies alike are welcome - we’ll verify veteran status to make sure those who served get the access they deserve.

Veterans have already paid their dues, so IAVA membership is always free. Click here to get started: https://bit.ly/3AZRWrF

The Olympics are in full swing with lots of medals of all kinds for Team USA. Task & Purpose has a great write up about Army veteran Vincent Hancock who earned his fourth gold medal in s***t shooting yesterday 🥇🇺🇸 🙌

What Olympic sport would you be best at?

Army veteran wins fourth Olympics gold medal in s***t shooting Former Army sergeant Vincent Hancock took home the gold in s***t shooting at the Paris Olympics, beating his own student in the process.

Today is the birthday of the U.S. Coast Guard 🥳 and we also want to shout out IAVA Leadership Fellow Mike Matos, who is a PROUD Coastie. 😎

We salute the Coast Guard for protecting America’s marine borders and standing ready to rescue those in danger.

Have you signed up for PACT Act benefits? If you served near burn pits or other toxic exposure, and you’re struggling with physical ailments these days, you should look into it. The VA just expanded the online burn pit registry too.

Start your claim now and join over one million veterans who have gotten benefits.

The PACT Act And Your VA Benefits | Veterans Affairs The PACT Act is a law that expands VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances. This law helps us provide generations of Veterans—and their survivors—with the care and benefits they’ve earned and deserve. And starting March 5, 2024, w...

Half of Congress may be on summer break, but the was grinding away this week.

Check out this Cavalry update to catch up on all their awesome work 😎 https://iava.org/blog/2024-08-02-iava-cavalry-update/

Proud of IAVA Cavalry Joseph Castellanos for holding a great meeting today with Sen. Jacky Rosen and her staff. Joseph is from Nevada so Senator Rosen is his representative in Congress 🙌

IAVA appreciates the Senator's time today hearing some of Joseph's personal story and his and our staff's connections to the issues we are fighting for.

Great meeting with Senator John Fetterman's staff today, lead by IAVA Cavalry Larissa Dianovsky from Ohio 👏 Thank you to them for the time!

Virtual or in-person, IAVA member advocates are trained to hold conversations about issues like access to alternative therapies, the Deborah Sampson Act, and keeping our promise to Afghan Allies.

Garret Biss lead a conversation on Friday with the office of Senator Ted Budd, sharing his personal story and journey post-service, while pushing for Senator Budd to support IAVA's current policy priorities and legislation. 👏

10 years ago, we partnered with Oscar Mike apparel to create gear for our members and allies, so folks could support our mission while repping post-9/11 veterans. We’re grateful for a decade of collaboration. Check out our latest merch now!

https://oscarmike.org/collections/iava

Know an awesome woman veteran who deserves recognition? The VA is opening a new clinic for women veterans in Minneapolis and the name for this center is up for debate.

Submit your suggestion through October 30and read more about the clinic here:

Brooks: The VA wants your help picking a name for a new clinic for female veterans If you know a veteran who served her country and her community, the VA is accepting nominations until Oct. 30.

The open tomorrow 🥳🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸

Did you know that veterans, troops, and families are able to watch any and all events for free, courtesy of Exchange? This link explains how to get set up with your Exchange account.

Go Team USA!

Shop Army & Air Force Exchange Service Choose provider and select Exchange.If Exchange logo is not visible then use the drop down menu and select AAFES-Exchange-PXBX.

Thanks to Congressman Bryan Steil and his team for meeting with IAVA’s staff and Cavalry member Dan Rowe today - great to connect directly with Rep. Steil about how his office can support our legislative goals 🙌

First air-to-air victory for an American woman, taking out a drone in the Red Sea… not too shabby.

A USS Eisenhower pilot became the first American woman to score air-to-air kill The aviator, part of Strike Fighter Squadron 32, took out a Houthi drone in the Red Sea as part of the Navy's intercept mission.

America's next Commander in Chief would be well-served by having a post-9/11 veteran at their side as vice president.

IAVA vets are calling on Vice President Harris to ensure that outcome by choosing a veteran as her running mate.

Full statement here: https://iava.org/press_releases/post-9-11-veterans-call-on-harris-to-add-veteran-to-presidential-ticket/

Dante Biss-Grayson is a member of the Osage Nation and a US Air Force veteran who has become an artist across multiple mediums. His latest work is a short documentary about the experiences of Native vets after service.

Read an interview with the Air Force veteran and watch the doc here:

Embracing traditional healing and the Warrior’s Paradox: Insights from a Native veteran filmmaker | Rocky Mountain PBS Osage veteran Dante Biss-Grayson is a multifaceted artist, writer, and fashion designer, known for pushing the boundaries of Native American art. As an Air Force veteran who has grappled with PTSD, Dante channels his experiences into powerful artistic expressions.

It's RED Friday today. RED = Remember Everyone Deployed. Keep them in your thoughts today and always until they all come home. 🙏❤️🇺🇸

Today Kristen L. Rouse represented IAVA alongside Policy Associate Rodger James Pinto at the HVAC / SVAC round table on the unique needs of women veterans, and what action VA can take.

Breaking: Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, a veteran of the Iraq War and the US Marine Corps, will join the Republican presidential ticket.

Our statement: https://iava.org/press_releases/post-9-11-veterans-on-vance-joining-republican-presidential-ticket/

Our are advocates in their communities who lead through example. Take a few minutes today and watch this TedxTalk from July cohort member Garret Biss, on the weight veterans carry back home. It’ll fire you up. Way to go Garret!

The Unspoken Trauma All Veterans Face | Garret Biss | TEDxApex NOTE FROM TED: This talk contains a discussion of suicidal ideation. Please do not look to this talk for mental health advice and seek professional help if y...