For more information:
Callie R. Oettinger, callie@o-a-inc.com
Ph: 703-451-2476, Fax: 703-451-6870

About the Author

As one of the first Iraq veterans to publicly criticize the war and demand accountability from elected officials, Paul Rieckhoff has become a nationally-recognized authority on the war in Iraq and issues affecting troops, military families, and veterans. 

After serving in Iraq from 2003 to 2004, Rieckhoff formed America's first—and now largest—Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans group. Today, as executive director, he continues to lead Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), which now has members in every state—an organization not tied to any political party or candidate.

A staunch political independent, Rieckhoff was honored in November 2004 by Esquire magazine as one of "America's Best and Brightest for 2004" and was interviewed by Tom Brokaw on "The NBC Nightly News."

He has since been interviewed on: "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," "Paula Zahn Now," "NewsNight with Aaron Brown," "Anderson Cooper 360," "Hannity and Colmes," "60 Minutes II," "Countdown with Keith Olberman," "ABC World News Tonight," "The CBS Evening News," "CNN Live," "Fox News Weekend Live," "MSNBC Live," NPR's "Morning Edition," "The Al Franken Show," "The Tony Snow Show," and "The Ed Schultz Show."

Rieckhoff has also had opinion pieces in the International Herald Tribune, The Huffington Post, AlterNet, and Knight-Ridder, and has been featured in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Army Times, Wall Street Journal, Reuters, New York Daily News, Newsday and The Associated Press.  

Rieckhoff enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves September 15, 1998, and completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Fort McClellan, Ala. Rieckhoff then served in the U.S. Army Reserves, as a Specialist with the 812th Military Police Company.

Later, while working on Wall Street at J.P. Morgan in 1999, he transferred to the New York Army National Guard, graduating from Officer Candidate School in June 2001, where he was named a Distinguished Military Graduate. Rieckhoff selected the infantry as his branch and joined A Company, 1/105th INF (Light).

Rieckhoff left Wall Street September 8, 2001, with plans to travel and complete additional military schooling. On the morning of September 11, Rieckhoff saw smoke from his rooftop, and immediately joined scores of volunteers serving in the rescue effort at Ground Zero. His National Guard unit was formally activated later that evening, and he stayed in the city for an additional two months.

In February 2002, he began the Infantry Officers Basic Course at Fort Benning, Ga. He graduated in June 2002 and immediately volunteered for active duty and a place in the pending war in Iraq.

In January 2003, Rieckhoff received the call to go to Iraq. Two days later, he was on a plane to join the 3rd Infantry Division at Fort Stewart, Ga. Rieckhoff was then assigned as a Platoon Leader for 3rd Platoon, B Company, 3/124th INF (Air Assault) FLNG.

The unit, which was attached to 1st Brigade, 3ID, spent approximately 10 months conducting combat operations in Iraq, centered in the Adamiyah section of Baghdad on the Eastern bank of the Tigris River. Third Platoon conducted over 1,000 dismounted and mounted combat patrols. 3/124th INF was the first reserve component unit in the Army to be awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge since the Korean War. All thirty-eight of the men in Rieckhoff's platoon returned home alive.