Veterans For Peace is excited to announce that that have hired a new Executive Director. Please join us in welcoming Garett Reppenhagen. Garrett is a veteran of the Iraq war and joins us with a history of anti-war and climate activism, as well as a dedication to serving the veteran community. He will be starting on June 27th.
Garett Reppenhagen is the son of a Vietnam Veteran and grandson of two World War II Veterans. He served in the U.S. Army as a Cavalry/Scout Sniper in the 1st Infantry Division. Garett completed a deployment in Kosovo on a 9-month peace-keeping mission and a combat tour in Baquaba, Iraq. Garett gained an Honorable Discharge in May of 2005 and began working as a veterans advocate and a dedicated activist. He served as the Chairman of the Board of Iraq Veterans Against the War, worked in Washington, DC, as a lobbyist and as Vice President of Public Relations for the Nobel Prize winning Veterans For America, as a Program Director for Veterans Green Jobs and was the Rocky Mountain Director for Vet Voice Foundation. Garett lives in Colorado where he serves as the Executive Director for Veterans For Peace.
A message from Garett:
It is a great honor to help VFP modernize our campaign for peace while preserving the powerful legacy of veteran activism. I hope to encourage more post 9-11 veterans to join our fight and prepare the organization to address the coming military conflicts and domestic violence. Veterans For Peace is a critical force to help turn our government’s policies away from aggression and to shape a culture of peace in our communities. No one has more credibility to talk about nonviolence than those who swore to serve in the armed forces.
I realized I was opposed to the war in Iraq when my US Army scout platoon crossed the border of Kuwait. I knew I was against ALL war after I pulled the trigger on my first sniper mission. The urgency for peace has led me to become a leader in Iraq Veterans Against the War in the streets of DC. The awareness of my moral injury brought me to Standing Rock to protect clean water and the rights of indigenous Americans. Years of working in non-profit management has prepared me to help guide Veterans For Peace as the new executive director.
I look forward to hearing from every chapter on how I can do my best to serve the membership and our mission. Please continue your hard work and join me in reactivating old members, recruiting new blood and striving to build a community of diverse and effective veteran organizers.