Have an Iraq/Afghanistan Vet In Your Life?

Then please take a minute to click thru on the IAVA ad on your right and check out Support Your Vet and Community of Veterans. The sites are run by the IAVA (very good friends of the blog) and are chock full of resources, ideas and support that can really make a difference in your vets life. Paul Rieckoff and his crew are top notch, I can attest.

New IAVA Ad- Signs

FOB Paul Rieckoff will be on the Colbert Report tomorrow night, so be sure to tune in and check out their new site Support Your Vet. Very good ads, the other ones kill me.

IAVA's Paul Rieckhoff on Billing Vets' Private Insurance

For MP in the comments, the nut graph in the article noted-

However, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Tuesday that no plans have been enumerated yet about veterans health care.

"Let me not make the case for a decision that this administration hasn't made yet regarding the final disposition or decision on third-party billing as it relates to service-related injuries," he said.

Also note the organization quoted in the article is the American Legion which is historically unfriendly to Democrats. FOB Paul Rieckoff of IAVA seems to feel it will be shot down (though he does seem disturbed by the fact that it was floated).

VIDEO: Vets group founder Paul Rieckhoff talks soldier suicide rates; I talk Vet daughter's trauma

By GottaLaff

Last week we talked with Paul Rieckhoff, executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. In part two of the interview, we talked to Paul about Vet head injuries, rising suicide rates among returning soldiers, and how the economic crisis is effecting military families.

Paul is an amazing guy. You may have seen him on the Rachel Maddow Show or Countdown, where he makes numerous appearances and for good reason. I've Tweeted with him on Twitter, and he's one of the few well-knowns who actually Tweeted back.

His web site is here.

Slightly off topic, but some of you may remember my student whose father was in Iraq. I've posted several e-mails from her (unfortunately, only one is available, the others were from our old site and are gone) about the anguish and angst she felt while he was there.

He's back now, has been for several months, but sadly, has lapsed into PTSD, alcoholism, and domestic violence. This is a guy who I've met, who is a sweet, caring man, but who suffers needlessly because of Bush's immoral, illegal invasion. My student came to school with a prominent bruise on her face, at a total loss about how to proceed.

They've tried getting him into a Veteran's program, but that's not easy. They only provide so many meetings and only so much treatment. His depression prevents him from taking any initiative whatsoever, and so he isn't making progress. In fact, he's sinking more deeply into his post-Iraq abyss.

And because he has changed drastically, his family is living in their own private hell.

Thanks for nothing, George Bush.

Conversely, a sincere thank you to Paul Rieckhoff for doing what he does.

Rachel Maddow Show: Paul Rieckhoff on Shinseki Appointment

Because I love me some Rieckoff

Rachel Maddow Talks To FOB Paul Riechkoff

Here's the site that Paul has gotten together, Community of Veterans.