Cold War Veterans Blog

Bulletin From:

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Date: Mar 30, 2007 2:25 PM

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:

• 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.



• 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.



• Establishing a toll-free hotline for outpatients and their families to report any problems they encounter with medical facilities.



• Assigning independent medical advocates for service members to help them navigate their care options and the disability rating process.



• 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