Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Georgia Veterans Unite During Ongoing Scandal within the Department of Veterans Affairs

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America issued the following:


CONTACT: Gretchen Andersen (212) 982-9699 or press@iava.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Georgia Veterans Unite During Ongoing Scandal within the Department of Veterans Affairs


CEO in Atlanta urges President to take action with the VA and combating veteran suicide


Atlanta, GA (June 16, 2014) – Following last week’s Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) audit release, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff will be speaking at Points of Light’s 2014 Conference on Volunteering and Service on Tuesday, June 17 at 8:30 am at the Georgia World Congress Center. That afternoon at 12 pm, Rieckhoff will also meet with local post-9/11 veterans in Atlanta, Georgia at Park Bar Atlanta discussing their experiences with the VA and any wait times they have experienced. Rieckhoff will also be talking about IAVA’s eight-step plan for restoring confidence within the VA, and the Campaign to Combat Suicide.


Local vets can RSVP here to the luncheon. Press is invited to attend.


In early June Rieckhoff, joined by IAVA veterans from across the country, unveiled eight steps the Obama Administration and Congress can take now to restore confidence in the Department of Veterans Affairs. IAVA urges Congress and the President to enact all of the recommendations from the plan.


“As we continue to learn more about the scope of wrong-doing at the VA, it is imperative veterans know that they are not alone,” said Rieckhoff. “Atlanta, like so many cities across the country, is on the front lines of our fight to improve the lives of post-9/11 veterans and their families. We urge leadership in Atlanta to step up for vets and follow our eight-step plan to restore faith within the VA as well as encourage lawmakers to pass the SAV Act.”


There are more than 700,000 Georgia veterans, including more than 110,000 who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. 


Atlanta veterans face a number of critical challenges. In Georgia, as well as across the country, suicide is a top concern for new veterans: at least 22 veterans die by suicide every day.


More than 283,000 veterans are stuck in the VA backlog, including more than 14,000 in the Atlanta regional office, who are waiting more than 125 days for a claim. The average wait time here is 174.7 days.


As part of the "We've Got Your Back: IAVA's Campaign to Combat Suicide" IAVA is calling on Congress to pass comprehensive legislation expanding mental health care for veterans and ensuring that they have extended access to that care. IAVA is pushing for bipartisan support for The Suicide Prevention for America's Veterans Act (SAV Act) - historic legislation introduced in March by U.S. Senator John Walsh of Montana, the first Iraq War combat vet to serve in the Senate.


No Senators from Georgia have signed onto the SAV Act.


IAVA is also demanding President Obama issue an Executive Order that addresses the problem that often plagues coordination of records and care between the Department of Defense and the VA and to appoint a National Director of Suicide Prevention.


Points of Light’s 2014 Conference on Volunteering and Service


WHAT: Paul Rieckhoff will deliver remarks at the annual Points of Light’s 2014 Conference on Volunteering and Service, where leaders from nonprofits, business and government come together to build and lead a more powerful, more vibrant volunteer sector. To learn more visit http://www.volunteeringandservice.org/


WHO: Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA CEO and Founder 


WHEN: Tuesday, June 17 at 8:30 am EST


WHERE: Room A409, Georgia World Congress Center in Building A, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., NW, Atlanta, GA 30313


IAVA Membership Luncheon 


WHAT: Paul Rieckhoff will attend a membership luncheon with post-9/11 Atlanta veterans 


WHO: Paul Rieckhoff, IAVA CEO and Founder
            Atlanta Post-9/11 veterans


WHEN: Tuesday, June 17 at 12 pm EST


WHERE: Park Bar Atlanta 150 Walton St NW, Atlanta, GA 30303


Note to media: Please contact press@IAVA.org to 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.
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