Veterans for American Ideals

About

Veterans for American Ideals is a nonpartisan group of veterans who share the belief that America is strongest when its policies and actions match its ideals.

We dedicated our lives to our country as citizen-soldiers, and we believe that honor, courage, commitment, duty, and country are not just words, but values worth defending. After taking off the uniform, we seek to continue serving our country by advocating for policies that are consistent with the ideals that motivated us to serve in the first place. Our current campaigns are focused on saving the Special Immigrant Visa program for interpreters and translators who served with the U.S. military, protecting refugees, and countering Islamophobia.

We, veterans, dedicated parts of our lives to our country as citizen-soldiers.

We believe that honor, courage, commitment, duty, and country are not just words, but values that embody our service and our entire nation.

To be a citizen-soldier is to be part of a courageous and service-oriented family that breathes life into citizenship.

After taking off the uniform, we seek to continue serving our country.

Veterans for American Ideals advocates policies that are consistent with the principles that motivated us to serve in the first place.

Join Veterans for American Ideals

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Have you served in the US Military?

By Joining You Will:

Get all the latest news and hear first about opportunities to take action.
Have opportunities to engage through letters to our political leaders, opinion pieces, and public appearances.
Play an important role in encouraging America to live up to its ideals.

VFAI Members Convene in Washington, DC to push for the renewal of the SIV Program.

We'll never share your information with anyone

Confirm Your Service

Is it safe to submit paperwork?

Veterans for American Ideals will never share any information with anyone without your explicit permission. As veterans ourselves, we assure you that your military records will be processed with the utmost sensitivity.

In order to approve your membership, we require proof of your service. Please send one of the following documents. If you have any questions, please send them to vfai@humanrightsfirst.org.

Medal, Award, or certificate of recognition from your service
Officer Records Briefs or Enlisted Records Briefs
Paperwork from the Veterans Administration or Department of Defense indicating that you served
A copy of your DD214 that shows your discharge status (your social security number can be blacked out if you prefer)
Mobilization, deployment, or NATO orders

Welcome

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Congratulations! You are now part of a veterans movement that will make a difference in encouraing and helping America to live up to its ideals.

Here are a few things you can do to support our work right now:

Understand

Check out our website and educate yourself about the issues we are taking on.

Engage

Tell us what ideas you have, what issues you care about, and how you think we should be approaching our work.

Share with your friends and fellow veterans and encourage them to join us.

Leader Spotlight: Matt Lester

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"Veterans happen to be one of the very few groups that people from all walks of life seen as honest brokers. Because of that credibility—and because American ideals are under assault internationally and here at home by Americans who are losing sight of what those ideals are—we have a serious responsibility to speak up in defense of them," says Matt Lester, a U.S. Marine veteran and the co-leader of Vets for American Ideals' NY/NJ team.

Resources

President Trump's Executive Order on Refugees Harms Our Iraqi Allies
Human Rights First
factsheet | July 18, 2017 | Human Rights First
Recognizing the importance of protecting Iraqi allies who served alongside the U.S. Military, U.S. agencies, media, and non-governmental organizations....
Victory for Afghans who Served with American Forces
Human Rights First
report | May 31, 2017 | Human Rights First
As veterans, we served with and often depended on interpreters, translators, and other local allies to carry out missions in Afghanistan....
Trump's Refugee and Immigration Executive Order
Human Rights First
factsheet | January 31, 2017 | Human Rights First
The order discriminates against Muslims, imperils refugees, and degrades U.S. national security and global leadership....
The Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program
Human Rights First
factsheet | December 12, 2016 | Human Rights First
What is the Afghan Special Immigrant Visa Program?...
National Security Leaders Statement of Principles on America's Commitment to Refugees
Human Rights First
letter | June 23, 2016 | Human Rights First
STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES ON AMERICA’S COMMITMENT TO REFUGEES...
Remarks by Deputy National Security Advisor Avril Haines Commemorating World Refugee Day
Human Rights First
transcription | June 15, 2016 | Human Rights First
As Prepared for Delivery - Fried Frank LLP, Washington, D.C...

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News and Views

News from the Week of July 10th
Blog | July 14, 2017 |

Here's the latest round-up of what we've been reading and watching this week, from in the news and around the web:

Last night, Judge Derrick Watson, a federal judge in Hawaii, gave a temporary victory to those opposed to the Trump...
News from the Week of July 3rd
Blog | July 7, 2017 |

Here’s another round-up of what we’ve been reading and watching, from the news and around the web:

This week Americans enjoyed barbeques, picnics, and fireworks in celebration of Independence Day. Veterans for American Ideals honored the...
Adam Babiker: Veteran + Refugee
Blog | June 30, 2017 |

Veterans served to not only protect their country’s borders, but also to protect the values that their country embodies. Service is not limited by color, race, gender, or religion. It’s built on the unity of people from diverse...

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