Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America VP to speak at American Legion Post 20 meeting,  Sept. 8

Tom Porter, executive vice president for Government Affairs at Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, will be the guest speaker at the National Press Club's American Legion Post 20 meeting on Thursday, Sept. 8, at noon in the McClendon Room. The event is open to all Club members.

Porter will discuss the recently passed PACT Act, which expands Department of Veterans Affairs health care and benefits to veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances. Porter is a Captain in the U.S. Navy Reserve, and his service has included deployments to Afghanistan and the Arabian Gulf as a Public Affairs Officer. Prior to joining IAVA in 2015, he was Vice President at Morgan Meguire, LLC.

Originally, Voice of America Chief National Correspondent Steve Herman was to have been the guest speaker at Post 20's September meeting. Herman plans to speak with Post 20 at its November meeting.

The event will be a hybrid one. Those unable to attend in person can RSVP to Post 20 Sergeant-at-Arms Evelyn Moy at [email protected], who will provide a virtual meeting link.

Historic Post 20 was founded at the Club in 1919 at the suggestion of famed World War I General John "Black Jack" Pershing. At the time, Pershing was serving in Washington and was an associate member of the Club.