IRAQ VERERANS AGAINST THE WAR UPDATE; Things we thought you should know...3FEB12

UPDATE from the IVAW on the Ft Hood virtual town hall last week, over 100,000 participated!!!! This is a major victory for all of us concerned about the redeployment of troops suffering from PTSD, TBI and MST as well as making the US Military aware of the problems the troops face getting care once they are home. There is also info on the film 'Invisible War' documenting the risk women face while serving our nation in the military. We must keep up the pressure because these men and women deserve our support.....

Take Action Read about Scott Olsen in this month's Rolling Stone magazine. Watch the trailer for the film Invisible War. Donate to support our work. Send us your feedback. Report back from Fort Hood virtual town hall - You helped make it happen! Thanks to your support, we got General Campbell, Commander of Fort Hood, to hold a town hall meeting last week via Facebook and Fort Hood's tv station. Approximately 100,000 people participated in the town hall by viewing the proceedings or by actively asking questions. (Because of the volume of questions that were asked, Fort Hood officials are still posting responses to the questions they didn't get to during the live event.) More than 200 Operation Recovery supporters like you posted messages of solidarity to Facebook, letting the Fort Hood community know that they have support and watchful eyes from the outside community. We thank you! While we had concerns that a virtual town hall had its limitations, we made the most of it by asking a series of questions highlighting the issues of military trauma, including the fact that soldiers are intimated by their command when they seek treatment in combat and the inadequate response to and prosecution of cases of military rape. Half of the questions that the General answered on the air were submitted by members of our Operation Recovery campaign. In answering these questions, the General laid out the existing regulations and procedures that his officials are bound to follow in such situations. The problem is, many do not. However, General Campbell is now on the record for positively supporting the principles of the Operation Recovery campaign - that soldiers have the right to heal. Fort Hood's town hall was a small step in the right direction, and now we will go beyond the General's lip service to ensure that the rights of Fort Hood soldiers are no longer violated. Invisible War film wins Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival It is more likely that a woman service member will be raped than killed in combat. The film, Invisible War, takes an in-depth look at epidemic of military rape and how this crime is systematically covered up. Watch the trailer here: Scott Olsen featured in this month's Rolling Stone Check out this in-depth interview with Scott by Mark Binelli.  In it, Scott talks about his prior military service in Iraq, his involvement in the Wisconsin protests against Governor Walker in 2011 and his subsequent involvement in the Occupy movement. These are just some things we thought you should know. In Solidarity, Iraq Veterans Against the War and the Afghanistan Veterans Against the War Committee

Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity, and welcomes your tax deductible contributions

Thank you! The pressure is working! Take action today. from IVAW 26JAN12

TO all who participated in lobbying the commander of Ft Hood to address the issues of military sexual trauma and PTSD, TBI and care for our troops this update from IVAW. General Campbell is holding a virtual town hall tonight via Facebook and phone calls in response to the pressure he has received from the thousands of postcards received from the IVAW campaign (see my initial post on this blog on the campaign VETERANS DAY 2011 FOCUS: WOMEN VETS AND SERVICE MEMBERS 7NOV11 posted 11NOV11). Thank you to all who participated for your support of our troops!

Take Action Join our virtual vigil by posting a message on the Fort Hood Facebook wall that says, "I support Fort Hood soldiers' rights to heal from military trauma" Donate now if you like our work. Send us your feedback. After two months of pressure from the Operation Recovery campaign, Fort Hood Commander announces he will hold a town hall Help keep the pressure on by posting a message on Fort Hood's Facebook wall before tonight's virtual town hall event. Since November, the General has received postcards from thousands of Operation Recovery campaign supporters like you urging him to hold a town hall community forum to address the crisis of untreated trauma at Fort Hood. Tonight's virtual town hall is strictly for the Fort Hood community, and soldiers and their family members will be asking questions via Facebook and phone calls. But we want General Campbell and the Fort Hood community to know that thousands around the nation care what happens to soldiers there. Today, before the town hall takes place, will you post this simple message on the Fort Hood Facebook wall? I support Fort Hood soldiers' rights to heal from military trauma. Then let us know you took action by sending us an email. It's that simple. Please make your post BEFORE 2:00 PM Pacific, 3:00 PM Mountain, 4:00 PM Central, or 5:00 PM Eastern. We don't want to clog up Facebook and prevent Fort Hood soldiers from asking important questions tonight during the actual town hall. This is a forum we have fought for, and we don't want to undermine the opportunity for service members' voices to be heard. This virtual town hall is not perfect We are pleased that General Campbell has agreed to hold this event, but the virtual format makes it easy for him to avoid answering the tough questions about untreated military trauma plaguing his base. To ensure these issues are addressed, we are co-hosting a simultaneous public gathering with Under the Hood Cafe and Outreach Center, where soldiers and their families will submit questions that address the critical issues at Fort Hood, including: 1) inadequate access to behavioral health counseling 2) commanders overriding the advice of medical doctors 3) over-medication of soldiers 4) a culture that allows sexual harassment and assault to occur Making a town hall virtual also reinforces the alienation and anonymity experienced by soldiers who who need help. Naomi, whose husband serves in Fort Hood's 2-5 Cavalry says, "Having a virtual town hall doesn't bring people together in a visible way to see and discuss our common experience." Our in-person gathering will bring soldiers together to let them know they are not alone. Show your solidarity before tonight's town hall with a Facebook post. Go to the Fort Hood Facebook wall and post this short message: I support Fort Hood soldiers' rights to heal from military trauma. Then let us know you took action by sending us an email. Again, please make your Facebook post BEFORE 2:00 PM Pacific, 3:00 PM Mountain, 4:00 PM Central, or 5:00 PM Eastern. Imperfect as it is, this virtual town hall is an important first step, but Operation Recovery will continue our work to end the deployment of traumatized troops and ensure that soldiers have the right to heal at Fort Hood and around the nation. Thank you for your continued support of our campaign. In Solidarity, The Operation Recovery Campaign Team Iraq Veterans Against the War P.S. Base commanders don't hold town halls regularly. The only other town hall in Fort Hood's history was in 2010 after the major crisis of the mass shooting that killed 13 soldiers. Clearly, the Fort Hood community is in crisis again with thousands of troops cycling out of Iraq after multiple tours of duty. A recent Army report shows that despite expanded efforts at suicide and substance abuse prevention, Army suicides are at a record high and violent sex crimes by active duty service members has increased by a whopping 30%.

Iraq Veterans Against the War is a 501(c)(3) charity, and welcomes your tax deductible contributions