This image is from Celebrate People’s History/Iraq Veterans Against the War: Ten Years of Fighting for Peace and Justice, a portfolio that celebrated IVAW’s first ten years and was produced by Justseeds, IVAW, Booklyn, Repetitive Press, and the Civilian Soldier Alliance.
(IVAW is now known as About Face: Veterans Against the War)
Large red letters spell out “NOTICE” at the top of this image. Against a line drawing of protestors with picket signs that say, “Stop the Deployment of Traumatized Troops”, small black text states: “GIs and Veterans have a right to heal. Iraq Veterans Against the War is hereby announcing Operation Recovery: A Campaign to Stop the Deployment of Traumatized Troops. Those responsible for deploying traumatized troops are now on watch. U.S.. troops are being deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq despite severe mental and physical injuries. Mental health issues, high suicide rates, and multiple deployments plague our armed services. Many troops currently deployed to combat theaters suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and military sexual trauma (MST). We find this situation unacceptable and demand and end to these inhumane deployments. Our troops are human beings, not government property. With each deployment our government unjustly denies troops their right to heal. There is a problem, a basic right is being denied and we will organize to get it back! We will no longer sit idly by while our brothers and sisters pay this heavy price for a failed war in Afghanistan. Will you stand with us and pledge to support ending deployments of traumatized troops? Operating Recovery seeks information regarding the movement of wounded and traumatized troops and the individuals responsible for these deployments. Contact us at ivaw.org.”