IAVA

 

"It was hard to hide my fears and remain positive about the situation 24/7. I felt like I had to be tough for his benefit and for my own."   Like military families across the country, Don and Lisa Gomez of Bellerose, New York watched as their son, Don, deployed to Iraq in 2003 and again in 2005. Along with his fiancée, Jessica, they were overjoyed to welcome him home. Relieved that he returned safely, they thought the hard part was over. But the first few months after Don came back weren't easy. Don's father said when his son returned, "He seemed harder. He had been overseas and he made it back. He didn't really want to talk about it."   Do you know any families like the Gomezes who've had a loved one deploy? If you do, we need your help making sure they're the first to know about an historic new campaign we're launching on April 30th for friends and families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.   Click here to send them a quick note. Since you're already an IAVA Supporter, we'll let you know as soon as the campaign launches. But we need your help to make sure it reaches even more people.   Many of us know that 1.7 million men and women have served our country in Iraq and Afghanistan, but less attention is paid to the sacrifices made by the parents, grandparents, spouses, siblings, children and friends they leave behind. Last November, we launched a successful campaign with the Ad Council aimed at easing the transition home for returning veterans- you may have seen those ads start to show up around the country. Now, we're building on that campaign's success and creating a new public service announcement campaign for friends and families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, like the Gomez family.   The national campaign will feature television, radio and online ads, directing people to an interactive and informative website that offers mental health resources, information on navigating the VA, and a discussion forum where visitors can connect with others going through similar experiences. The goal is to help those close to veterans start a conversation about their experiences overseas- often the most difficult part of coming home.   This ground-breaking campaign will launch on April 30th, just a few weeks away. Can you help us get the word out? Click here to let your friends or loved ones with a veteran in their life know about this new campaign, and we'll make sure they hear about the launch before anyone else.   With the surge of new veterans expected to return from Iraq over the next few years, this campaign is going to be an important part in welcoming them home. We're looking forward to the launch on April 30th, and can't wait to share more of it with you.   Thank you for continuing to stand with us.   Sincerely, Paul Paul Rieckhoff Iraq Veteran Executive Director & Founder Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA)