Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Expand Outreach

by Larry Jameson
(Arkansas)

Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), the country's first and largest nonpartisan organization for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, launched a new series of national public service advertisements (PSAs), in partnership with the Ad Council. The PSAs direct viewers to IAVA’s new website for the friends and families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, www.SupportYourVet.org.

The new series of PSAs – including television, radio, online and print ads, in English and in Spanish – will empower the friends and families of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans by giving them the tools to help their veteran transition to civilian life. The new PSAs are the second wave of the groundbreaking Veteran Support Campaign, launched on Veterans Day 2008. The first part of the campaign features PSAs encouraging new veterans to visit www.CommunityOfVeterans.org, a social network exclusively for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, where they can connect with one another and access critical resources.

"Every time a servicemember deploys, their families and friends are called to service on the homefront. They are the ones waiting for phone calls, worrying for their loved ones’ safety, and welcoming our warriors home. As a nation, it’s time to support the people who stand behind our troops every day,” said IAVA Executive Director Paul Rieckhoff. "IAVA is proud to build on the success of the historic Veterans Support Campaign, and we thank BBDO and the Ad Council for their extraordinary commitment to our troops, veterans, and military families.”

The emotional new television PSA, showing a series of “welcome home” signs hanging from highway overpasses, conveys the balancing act friends and family members face in reaching out to new veterans without asking intrusive or unsettling questions. The ad directs viewers to a new website, www.SupportYourVet.org, where they can find critical resources for veterans and military families, tips on how to talk to veterans about their experiences, and forums where they can connect with others struggling with similar issues.

Friends and family can play a critical role in helping a veteran transition home. Nearly one third of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Left untreated, mental health injuries can lead to substance abuse, marital conflict, child abuse, and even suicide. Research shows that many veterans avoid seeking help because of the stigma associated with mental illness; those veterans who do seek care often cite family or friends as the catalyst that motivated them to get the treatment they needed. The tips and resources offered on www.SupportYourVet.org equip friends and family members with the tools they need to start this challenging conversation.