Paul Rieckhoff

There are 12,000 lobbyists in Washington. They represent anything and everything from big tobacco to Styrofoam. And they have Congress' ear every day of the year. Unfortunately, most of us don't have that kind of political pull. And neither does our veterans' community -- even though they deserve it. That's...

On Monday night, Dr. Drew did us all a big favor. He covered the Kandahar shooting incident on his HLN cable show in such a sensationalized way, that it should serve as a powerful example for how the media should NOT cover an issue -- particularly one as devastating...

A White House Dinner symbolizes a grateful country--but it's only a start.

In December, after eight years of combat, 32,000 Americans wounded, and 4,400 lives lost, the President told America that the Iraq war was over. And civilians nationwide began organizing parades--most notably, one for 100,000 people in St. Louis....

The ticker-tape parade is a slice of Americana as old as the Statue of Liberty. It's an honor reserved for a select few (sort of), from astronauts returning from space to military heroes to beloved politicians like Teddy Roosevelt. It's also happened for baseball player Sammy Sosa, and even...

If the NFC and AFC title games from this past weekend reminded us of anything, it's that America loves clutch performances. The first three quarters are great for backdrop, but it's performing when the pressure is at its highest that creates the best memories and the biggest stars. A quarterback...

Our troops are many things to many people. Heroes, parents, diplomats, victims, villains, victors. But as the GOP Primary races roll through New Hampshire this week, there is one thing that all of America must understand they're not: political props.

And that's not just my opinion, it's the law.

This is why...

"Service members enlist. Their families are drafted."

That familiar refrain has been uttered time and time again on American military bases across the globe during these wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. There's a lot of truth found in it, and such a reality rarely ends when a service member returns...

Stephen Colbert, Brian Williams, Norah Jones and... Aaron Mankin?

In a night full of stars, it was the humble kid from Arkansas who stole the show.

In 2005, Retired Marine Corporal Aaron Mankin was seriously wounded in Iraq when an IED destroyed his vehicle, fatally wounding six other Marines.

Inspired by Tuesday's Huffington Post Game Changers Awards and the success stories of some of my fellow Game Changers, I woke up Wednesday eager for progress in the veterans' employment movement. For once, I didn't have to wait very long.

"We ask our men and women in...

"If you can save a life in Afghanistan, you can save a life in an ambulance in Wyoming. If you can oversee millions of dollars of assets in Iraq, you can help a business balance its books here at home," President Obama said in August when announcing his veteran...

I was at Ground Zero ten years ago and remember it well. Too well, really. I remember the blue sky. I remember a gigantic plane engine sitting calmly on a street corner like a piece of modern art. I remember the rubble. I remember the bucket brigades. I remember the...

Eight years ago, after the capture of Saddam Hussein in a spider hole, TIME Magazine named The American Soldier its “Person of the Year.” It was an iconic cover story that put a face on these wars and played a decisive role in getting Americans to separate personal politics from...

The mind-numbing debt ceiling debate dominated headlines for what seems like all summer. That changed a bit today, when President Obama announced his New Veterans’ Employment Initiative at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. This call to action couldn’t come at a more crucial time – according to

Lost in the headlines about the mind-numbing debt ceiling debate and Japan’s  Women’s World Cup victory, the unemployment rate for new veterans jumped to 13.3 percent in June, 4 percentage points higher than the national average. Last time we polled IAVA’s membership, they reported close to 20 percent...

This week, 30 Iraq and Afghanistan veterans took Capitol Hill by storm. Hailing from 14 different states, they brought diverse military, professional and personal experiences from the battlefield to Washington, D.C. And they made a huge impact.

Our teams (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta, Echo,...

The Oregon Ducks came up short against Auburn this week, but December's lame duck delivered for vets. You may have missed it while buried in a blizzard or trapped in a holiday food coma, but Congress came through big-time for vets during the lame duck session.

So how much does this Senate suck?

A lot.

This has definitely been a year of incredible frustration and stagnation in Washington. Without a doubt, it’s the worst I've seen it in my short time working as an advocate on Capitol Hill. But in the last week,...

After 10 years in Iraq and Afghanistan, our troops are coming home from war to a difficult economy, staggering foreclosure rates and high unemployment. Now, if Washington gets its way, they’ll also face their lowest pay raise in decades. Nice. So as investment bankers get hefty bonuses on Wall Street,...

When you reach for that second helping of turkey or stuffing today, war probably won’t be the topic of conversation at your Thanksgiving dinner table. That is, unless you have a loved one in Iraq, Afghanistan or South Korea.

While Black Friday looms, the disconnect between our military and the...

For months, our country has been divided over "ObamaCare," Bush tax cuts and Wall Street bailouts. But with the election finally behind us, it's time for all Americans to come together and find some common ground. It won't be around immigration reform or deficit spending, but it can be around...