Rieckhoff branded
I love making fun of Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, mostly because he makes it so easy. Someone sent me this screenshot of his Facebook page last night.
Now, I don’t think Paul is gay, but, putting some dude’s butt on his Facebook page doesn’t dispel any rumors to the contrary. I’m pretty sure it’s not Reickoff’s spandex-encased glutes – they haven’t invented Spandex that strong yet. Especially, some dude’s butt with tire tracks across the back. Is that supposed to allude to a certain level of high speed traffic? And a tramp-stamp that says “seize the day”?
Category: Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Carpe gluteum!!! Err…..
He changed it.
I saw that logo on a case of Miller High Life (or something). Even though I saw the post here about it I still did a double take.
Link says content unavailable…hmmmmm
[…] I’m Reickhoff’s next target, now that he’s been beat by Miley Cyrus because I think his new logo looks gay on some guy’s butt in a picture on Rieckhoff’s Facebook avatar. I suppose he’ll […]
Its ok you can hate, but guess what? That guy is a fucking hero. Who has gotten me as a veteran more benefits and a job. So while you sit in your parents basement in front of the computer sitting on your fat ass doing nothing Paul is making changes and fighting for veterans rights on Capital Hill.
Really, warvet? What has Rieckhoff done for veterans? Name one thing. And then tell me how he did it. IAVA is a place to pour money into Rieckhoff’s pockets. The only job he ever got anyone was his own…and then he tells you about all of the things he’s done for you. He’d climb over your bleeding body to get to a penny.
Since when is MMA and supporting veterans “gay?”
MMA is not supporting veterans – they’re supporting Rieckhoff. There’s a difference. I’ve turned down advertisers and promoters because they tried to tell me that they supported or endorsed IAVA. I’ve told them that they’re not supporting veterans if they give any credence to IAVA. I even quit helping out that 4Troops singing quartet because they give part of their money to IAVA.
The point here is that not all veterans share your opinion, John.
I don’t have a dog in this fight other than being an open-minded regular reader of this blog. But I will say that I registered with IAVA a few years ago and even reached out to be a volunteer in assisting veterans on the ground based on my subject-matter expertise. Nobody seemed interested, which was fine. But all I ever really saw from IAVA was emails seeking to get veterans onto photo ops or limited opportunities to go to a baseball game in exchange for a photo op, etc.
I never got the feeling that IAVA was really representing veterans, and from my perspective, was merely a vehicle for the founder to sell his book and reputation. From my vantage point, it looked like they would just take credit for the down-and-dirty successes of others, while also trying to associate their names with prominent people without actually taking the lead. It’s almost like a pseudo-political group with a cult-of-personality agenda. I have since removed myself from the email list.
This comment is certainly not intended to attack IAVA or its founder, but merely to express my personal impressions.
@John – see CPT Me for what a thoughtful comment looks like.
“The point here is that not all veterans share your opinion, John.”
That’s J-O-N-N. And I welcome all opinions and try to influence other’s opinions by giving them facts…not like IAVA which manipulates facts to change people’s opinions. If I was only interested in my opinion, there wouldn’t be open, unregistered discussions here.
Thousands of people come here every day to read my opinions and those of the commenters, so don’t try to lecture me on how to run this blog. We have a shared military experience and we all dislike the charlatans who try to manipulate our shared experience for their own gain.
Okay, you win.
Sorry for messing up your name.
@12 – I can’t help but think that your comment to Jonn is indicative of the culture at IAVA where it takes advantage of the product gleaned from other veterans for the sole advantage of IAVA and its PR purpose. I never met Jonn but do hold him in high esteem. I think what Jonn is trying to do, in his own way, is elicit a tangible counter-argument about the motivation and track record of IAVA. I am hanging around because I too am interested in hearing the tangible record as opposed to the cat fight. It would be very much appreciated to be enlightened.
I don’t work for IAVA. I’m a member, and I write for them from time to time. So what I do or say shouldn’t be indicative of IAVAs culture.
IAVA’s record and history is open for everyone to see. You can visit their webpage and deep-dive all day long. Jonn (with no H and two Ns) has his own take on IAVA which he has documented here and you can read all about his views, if you like.
No J-O-N-N, Paul Rieckoff is probably not gay (you might notice he has a girlfriend, not that that means anything) but I am. You say that you like making fun of Paul, I think it is interesting that you think that being gay (or the possiblity thereof) is something to make fun of. Paul did come out last year for the repeal of don’t ask, don’t tell and has said that he knows gay people that served in Iraq and Afghanistan to the charign of some of the IAVA Membership. He is a cool guy and probably pretty secure with his sexuality. As a gay guy let me tell you that most of us don’t put pics like that on Facebook. Remember J-O-N-N, real men don’t have to make fun of gays to prove their manhood.
Um, Dino, read carefully…I wrote that I don’t think Rieckhoff is gay.
And also remember Dino, that IAVA hardly represents all Afghan/Iraq vets. While I am neither, I’ll go so far as to say that they don’t represent anywhere near a majority of them. They’re a bunch of fucking political hacks whose noses are so far up the Democrat’s asses that if Obama ever came to a sudden stop, Rieckhoff would end up with a brown ring around his face.
Amazing how a group which claims to be “non-partisan” shows incredible bias towards a particular party and their agenda, isn’t it?
[…] “branded” merchandise of IAVA. Apparently, the twelve packs of Millers has the “brand“on them, too. While it’s partially true that the dime will go to benefit an Afghanistan […]