Veteran's Day Message from Paul Rieckhoff

It's a nice site with great links. I was just in there. While I am not happy that IAVA has not used any of my work or my videos, no matter how many times I've offered in the past, setting that aside, they are doing great work and deserve to be supported as well as used.

I don't know what's wrong with me or the videos I do but when I've offered to help the IAVA, especially considering I've been doing this since before most of them were born, they have not taken me up on my offers. I even sent them copies of my videos but never heard back.

Maybe it's because they focus on the newer veterans? I don't know but considering what all of our veterans are going through along with their families dealing with PTSD, especially the citizen soldiers of the National Guards and Reservists, you'd think that everyone would all be working together but they don't. There are several organizations I work with but they don't work with the IAVA. It just doesn't make sense. ( Anyway, pet peeve.)

The site is good and the commercial message is meaningful.

From the IAVA
I want to share something very exciting with you.Today, IAVA is launching a ground-breaking Public Service Announcement (PSA) campaign with the Ad Council. This historic, multi-year, national effort is aimed at easing the transition for veterans returning home from combat.

I want you to be the first to see the amazing new television ad, which will start running nationwide today. Click here to watch it now at CommunityofVeterans.org.

Even if you're not familiar with the Ad Council, you know their work. They have been behind some of our country's most iconic PSA campaigns, including Smokey the Bear, "Friends Don't Let Friends Drive Drunk", and "A Mind is A Terrible Thing to Waste". Now, they've teamed up with IAVA to create the largest campaign to date focused on veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan.

And at the center of this campaign is a new private social network, exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, at CommunityOfVeterans.org.

Please help us spread the word about this historic campaign. Forward this email to your friends and family members, and tell the veterans in your life to check out CommunityofVeterans.org.

Together, we have the potential to dramatically improve the lives of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans and their families nationwide.

Thank you for standing with us, and Happy Veterans Day.
Sincerely,

Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Executive Director and Founder
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America