Dear IAVA Supporter,
The Walter Reed fiasco was a travesty, but it helped to bring some much-needed attention to veterans' issues and Congress has really begun to step up. On Wednesday, the House unanimously passed the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act. This was an unusually fast move for Congress, and the momentum reflects the amplified voice of this new generation of veterans.
With our Online Army of supporters behind us - civilians, veterans, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters - we really can create and sustain meaningful change. Take a minute to invite your friends to join us.
IAVA has been working to make sure veterans are represented in the media, with appearances on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox News and more, and has been working with lawmakers in Washington to make sure real steps are taken to help our veterans.
To keep the pressure on, we need you to help us grow our grassroots membership base by inviting a friend to join.
The Wounded Warriors Assistance Act was sponsored by Representative Ike Skelton and co-sponsored by twenty eight Representatives from both parties. The Act accomplishes a number of important steps, including:
ï Assigning a case manager for all outpatients to oversee their medical and dental care. No case manager will be responsible for more than 17 patients at a time.
ï Requiring surveys to be conducted twice a year to review the quality and timeliness of care, the adequacy of living conditions and case management, and the effectiveness of the disability evaluation process.
ï Establishing a toll-free hotline for outpatients and their families to report any problems they encounter with medical facilities.
ï Assigning independent medical advocates for service members to help them navigate their care options and the disability rating process.
ï The creation of a 5,000 member pilot program to begin to streamline the problem-plagued transition of wounded service members from the military's care to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
With your support, IAVA came out strong and early in support of the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, and its passage is a great step for veterans. The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, which we told you about last week, has already passed the House and should soon be passed by the Senate.
Now, while these issues are in the spotlight, it's more important than ever before that IAVA reaches the dedicated supporters of our troops and veterans.
Please tell five friends about IAVA's Online Army today.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Founder/Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Dear IAVA Supporter,
On December 22, 2005, just a few months after returning from an eleven-month tour in Iraq, our son Joshua took his own life. Like so many of the brave men and women who have fought in these wars, Josh was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We made a conscious decision not to stay silent about our son's death. Josh's aunt Julie established a memorial site for our son, http://www.joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/ and we've been working with the media and veterans organizations to make sure his story is heard. If these efforts save one life and keep one family from going through this great sorrow of loss, it is worth it.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which will mandate better suicide prevention training for VA staff, establish a referral system to make sure that vets at risk receive care and open a 24-hour veterans' suicide hotline. This bill has Josh's name on it, but represents so many men and women, before Josh and after, who were unable to live with the physical, emotional and psychological aftermath of their service for us.
Thank you so much for continuing to support IAVA and our young veterans. We would also like to thank Congressman Boswell for his steadfast work on presenting and assuring the passage of the Act in the House of Representatives.
It is now time to work on passage of the companion bill in the Senate, S.479 introduced by Senator Harkin. We're making progress, and it's time to get this bill into law, and get it out there so it can help those men, women and families that need it. Please call your Senators today, or send them a note, and tell them you support S.479. It is our duty and responsibility to do whatever we can to help our veterans survive the peace after their service.
Go to http://congress.org/stickers/?dir=congressorg&officials=1
Thank you.
Ellen and Randy Omvig
Parents of Spc. Joshua Omvig,
Iraq War Veteran
http://www.joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/
Dear IAVA Supporter,
The Walter Reed fiasco was a travesty, but it helped to bring some much-needed attention to veterans' issues and Congress has really begun to step up. On Wednesday, the House unanimously passed the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act. This was an unusually fast move for Congress, and the momentum reflects the amplified voice of this new generation of veterans.
With our Online Army of supporters behind us - civilians, veterans, mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters - we really can create and sustain meaningful change. Take a minute to invite your friends to join us.
IAVA has been working to make sure veterans are represented in the media, with appearances on CNN, PBS, MSNBC, Fox News and more, and has been working with lawmakers in Washington to make sure real steps are taken to help our veterans.
To keep the pressure on, we need you to help us grow our grassroots membership base by inviting a friend to join.
The Wounded Warriors Assistance Act was sponsored by Representative Ike Skelton and co-sponsored by twenty eight Representatives from both parties. The Act accomplishes a number of important steps, including:
ï Assigning a case manager for all outpatients to oversee their medical and dental care. No case manager will be responsible for more than 17 patients at a time.
ï Requiring surveys to be conducted twice a year to review the quality and timeliness of care, the adequacy of living conditions and case management, and the effectiveness of the disability evaluation process.
ï Establishing a toll-free hotline for outpatients and their families to report any problems they encounter with medical facilities.
ï Assigning independent medical advocates for service members to help them navigate their care options and the disability rating process.
ï The creation of a 5,000 member pilot program to begin to streamline the problem-plagued transition of wounded service members from the military's care to the Department of Veterans Affairs.
With your support, IAVA came out strong and early in support of the Wounded Warriors Assistance Act, and its passage is a great step for veterans. The Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act, which we told you about last week, has already passed the House and should soon be passed by the Senate.
Now, while these issues are in the spotlight, it's more important than ever before that IAVA reaches the dedicated supporters of our troops and veterans.
Please tell five friends about IAVA's Online Army today.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
Paul Rieckhoff
Iraq Veteran
Founder/Executive Director
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Dear IAVA Supporter,
On December 22, 2005, just a few months after returning from an eleven-month tour in Iraq, our son Joshua took his own life. Like so many of the brave men and women who have fought in these wars, Josh was suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
We made a conscious decision not to stay silent about our son's death. Josh's aunt Julie established a memorial site for our son, http://www.joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/ and we've been working with the media and veterans organizations to make sure his story is heard. If these efforts save one life and keep one family from going through this great sorrow of loss, it is worth it.
Yesterday, the House of Representatives passed the Joshua Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act, which will mandate better suicide prevention training for VA staff, establish a referral system to make sure that vets at risk receive care and open a 24-hour veterans' suicide hotline. This bill has Josh's name on it, but represents so many men and women, before Josh and after, who were unable to live with the physical, emotional and psychological aftermath of their service for us.
Thank you so much for continuing to support IAVA and our young veterans. We would also like to thank Congressman Boswell for his steadfast work on presenting and assuring the passage of the Act in the House of Representatives.
It is now time to work on passage of the companion bill in the Senate, S.479 introduced by Senator Harkin. We're making progress, and it's time to get this bill into law, and get it out there so it can help those men, women and families that need it. Please call your Senators today, or send them a note, and tell them you support S.479. It is our duty and responsibility to do whatever we can to help our veterans survive the peace after their service.
Go to http://congress.org/stickers/?dir=congressorg&officials=1
Thank you.
Ellen and Randy Omvig
Parents of Spc. Joshua Omvig,
Iraq War Veteran
http://www.joshua-omvig.memory-of.com/