Iraqi, Afghan war vets a lobbying force

WASHINGTON, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan used Veterans Day to initiate an ad campaign to reach out to their contemporaries.

The group, which has about 125,000 members, set up a Web site, http://communityofveterans.org, to help them connect with each another, navigate the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and get information about programs such as the GI Bill, The Washington Post reported.

The Web site is a joint project of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Ad Council.

The first non-partisan organization dedicated to veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts has become a key player on veterans issues, congressional members told the Post. The group, working with other veterans groups, counts among its successes passage of the Post-Sept. 11 GI Bill, sponsored by Sen. James Webb, D-Va.

"They definitely do have a lot of credibility, because they've dealt with these issues themselves, and it's fresh in their minds," said Rep. Michael H. Michaud, D-Maine, chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs health subcommittee. "They're literally fresh from the battlefield to the halls of Congress."