Operation Advocacy
Twenty-six wounded warriors served by Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) met with members of Congress and their staffs to advocate for themselves and other veterans as part of WWP's Operation Advocacy, which connects warriors with their elected officials in Washington, DC.
Warriors and WWP staff conducted 40 meetings, discussing toxic exposure, mental health, and women veterans — WWP's top legislative priorities. Warriors also shared the challenges they have faced during recovery from their injuries and transition to civilian life. By speaking with warriors, members of Congress and their staff not only gained a valuable perspective on these critical issues — they were able to discuss solutions.
These 26 warriors also attended a joint hearing of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs and Armed Services committees, where WWP CEO Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Mike Linnington discussed WWP's top legislative priorities for 2020.
Event Recap:
Wounded Warrior Project would like to thank the following warrior-advocates for taking time away from their jobs and families to travel to Washington, DC, to participate in our first ever #OperationAdvocacy from Feb. 24–Feb. 26.
- Sergio Alfaro – Illinois
- Justin Bednar – Indiana
- Virginia Blackmore – Tennessee
- Jeremiah Brewington – Alaska
- Charles Burton – Kentucky
- Cody Chism – Florida
- Yomari Cruz – Florida
- Graham Dorsey – Arizona
- Dawn Drake – Arizona
- Allison French – Montana
- Angela Harrison – New York
- Abbie Holland-Schmidt – Illinois
- Anton Johnson – Montana
- James Kercheval – Oklahoma
- Jerome Mitchell – Arkansas
- John Oliveira – Massachusetts
- John Palmer – California
- Ryan Pearson – New Jersey
- Darren Raines – Georgia
- Mike Rash – Texas
- Cristin Rathkopf – Washington
- Taniki Richard – Virginia
- Nicole Shorter – Illinois
- Alejandro “Hondo” Tamez – Kansas
- Pamela Travis – Virginia
- Delia Veschi – Pennsylvania