Press Conference and Rally for Military Service Credit

 Last-minute notice for NYC area vets to publicly support S4124/A4313A. Veterans organizations  are leading a public confrontation  to  Mayor de Blasio's opposition to Military Service Credit. (link is here). Go join them in support.



NEW YORK (April 15, 2015) - The city’s top veterans leaders — Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), members of the Veteran Advisory Board, and local and national veteran organizations, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Vietnam Veterans of America, Military Officers Association of America, and NYC Veteran Alliance — will hold a press conference Thursday, April 16 on the steps of New York City Hall. During the unity press event, the groups will call on Mayor de Blasio to deliver real results for the city’s 200,000 veterans.

Since taking office 15 months ago, the mayor has not made veterans issues a priority for his administration despite the enormous challenges that the community faces. During this press conference, the veterans community will stand as one to urge the mayor to prioritize veterans issues and provide concrete policy solutions for the mayor to make a real impact in the lives of veterans in NYC.
IAVA will emphasize that veterans represent generations of leaders in the community and that the mayor needs to show that he cares by presenting a plan with real action and resources. While we appreciate the appointment of Brig. Gen. Loree Sutton (Ret.) as the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs and signing the recent reforms to the Veteran Advisory Board, overall the mayor’s record has not demonstrated that veterans are a priority for his administration. This has been evident in his opposition, which led to a veto of a state-level veterans pension bill as well as the miniscule budget of MOVA.

In October 2014, IAVA provided Sutton, Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, with a set of policy recommendations as a means to develop a comprehensive policy plan for New York City and its veterans.
Those recommendations can be found here.

WHO: IAVA, the city’s top veterans leaders, members of the Veteran Advisory Board and local and national veteran organizations including VFW, VVA, MOAA, and NYC Veteran Alliance.
WHEN: Thursday, April 16, 2015, 3:00 – 4:00 pm
WHERE: Steps of New York City Hall
City Hall Park, New York, NY 10007

Note to media: Email press@iava.org or call 212-982-9699 to speak with IAVA CEO and Founder Paul Rieckhoff or IAVA leadership.
Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (www.IAVA.org) is the leading post-9/11 veteran empowerment organization (VEO) with the most diverse and rapidly growing membership in America. Celebrating its 10th year anniversary, IAVA has repeatedly received the highest rating - four-stars - from Charity Navigator, America's largest charity evaluator.

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PRESS CONTACT

Tel: 212-982-9699

press@iava.org

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Press Account from the Event:

Veterans also assailed Mr. de Blasio for failing to back an expansion of a pension buy-back system for veterans last year. Under current law, vets who served in Iraq and other prior conflicts can get credit for three years toward their pensions if they enter civil service, but those who served in Afghanistan can’t. In a letter to the governor urging a veto, Mr. de Blasio’s office last year said the expansion would also include peacetime vets and be too costly.

“He felt it cost too much,” said Tireak Tulloch, a Marine Corps veteran from Brooklyn said during the rally. “There’s no other words that need to be said.”

Read more at http://observer.com/2015/04/as-veterans-groups-knock-de-blasio-commissioner-welcomes-the-energy/#ixzz3XYbkv3am 
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