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paper topic choices Military Families Speak Out Veterans for Common Sense Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America Military Families Speak Out (MFSO) was founded by two military families in November, 2002 to speak out against the planned US invasion of Iraq to try to prevent the invasion.

MFSO’s first national press conference was held to launch the "Bring Them Home Now" campaign in August, 2003 at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. It was organized by the Mintwood Media Collective and was televised on C-SPAN. Following the event, over 100 military families joined the organization within a week. That same month, MFSO members marched together for the first time with Veterans For Peace at a national demonstration opposing a U.S. invasion of Iraq. In February, 2003, 15 members of MFSO filed a lawsuit against President Bush and then-Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld seeking to prevent a U.S. invasion of Iraq in the absence of a Congressional declaration of war. The lawsuit went two rounds in the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, and ultimately failed on March 18, 2003. The invasion began on March 19, 2003. Within two weeks of the beginning of the war in Iraq, the membership of MFSO doubled, with 400 member families at the end of March, 2003.

The first MFSO chapters began in 2004. MFSO chapters have organized and built the voice of military families opposing the war in Iraq locally and regionally, with speaking programs, vigils, demonstrations, press conferences, meetings with elected officials, and many different kinds of creative actions. Chapters have allowed the organisation to reach out to new families around the country, get the voices of military families opposing the war into the media, work with local coalitions seeking to end the war in Iraq and to help mobilise citizens and elected officials to oppose the war in Iraq and take action to end it.

As of the summer of 2007, MFSO included over 3,600 military families speaking out to end the war in Iraq, withdraw troops, take care of them when they return, and end the policies that allowed the war to happen. They have members in every state in the U.S., in Puerto Rico, American Samoa and on US military bases in several other countries. Over 130 of these families have suffered the ultimate tragedy – their loved ones have died as a result of the war in Iraq. Many other MFSO member families have seen loved ones wounded in Iraq – physically, psychologically or both. Many MFSO member families currently have loved ones serving in Iraq – some for third, fourth or fifth deployments; and for most of the rest, their loved ones are eligible for deployment or redeployment to Iraq.

History
Military Families Speak Out is an organization of over 4,000 families across the US and around the world who are opposed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and have a loved one currently serving in the military, who has served in the military since 9/11 or who has died as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As people with loved ones in the military, we have both a special need and a unique role to play in speaking out. It is our loved ones who are, have been, or will be on the battlefront. It is our loved ones who are risking injury and death. It is our loved ones who are returning scarred from their experiences. It is our loved ones who will have to live with the injuries and deaths among innocent Iraqi civilians.

Orginization
If you are interested in starting a chapter or doing a local activity, we may be able to put you in touch with other members who can help you. We also work closely with other organizations such as Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Civilian Soldier Alliance, and United For Peace and Justice that you could bring an MFSO voice to. You can also participate as an individual member in online actions, working groups and conference calls. For more information about how to get involved, contact samantha@mfso.org.

California: Website: MFSO Orange County E-Mail: mfso-oc@pacbell.net Florida: Website: MFSO Florida E-Mail: mfsoflorida@yahoo.com Georgia: Website: GA MFSO E-Mail: atl_mfso@yahoo.com Indiana: Website: MFSO Indiana E-Mail: mfsoindiana@comcast.net Kansas: MFSO Midwest (Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma) E-mail: MFSOMissouri@aol.com Louisiana: New Orleans E-Mail: mfso.nola@gmail.com Massachusetts: Website: MFSO Massachusetts E-mail: Contact mfso@mfso.org for more information Minnesota: E-mail: mfso-minnesota@comcast.net Missouri: MFSO Midwest (Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma) E-mail: MFSOMissouri@aol.com Nevada: Las Vegas Email: mfsolv@aol.com New Jersey: Website: MFSO Bergen County E-Mail: Paula.rogovin@verizon.net Essex County E-Mail: MFSOEssexCounty@hotmail.com­ New Mexico: E-Mail: mitzi919@yahoo.com New York: Website: MFSO Metro NYC E-Mail: mfso_ny_nj_ct@yahoo.com Upstate New York E-Mail: mfso_upstate_ny@hotmail.com­­ Ohio: Dayton E-Mail: mfsodayton@yahoo.com Oklahoma: MFSO Midwest (Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma) E-mail: MFSOMissouri@aol.com Oregon: Website: MFSO Oregon E-Mail: info@mfso-oregon.org

Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh E-Mail: mfsopgh@yahoo.com MFSO National Office in Philadelphia 525 South 4th St, Suite 477 mfso@mfso.org Washington State: Website: MFSO Washington State Contact MFSO’s national office at mfso@mfso.org for more information

Board of Directors
Oskar Castro, Executive Director Oskar Castro is a 1992 graduate of Rowan University where he majored in law & human rights. Oskar was the Coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee’s National Youth & Militarism Program for 8 years and then served as a Senior Program Analyst for 1 year before joining with MFSO. He also served with INROADS/Philadelphia, Inc., an international non-profit career development organization working with youth of color. Prior to working with INROADS Oskar served in the realm of higher education as a community college recruiter and student advisor. He currently serves on the board of the War Resisters League.

Samantha Miller, Program Director Samantha is an organizer based out of Washington DC with a background in the anti-war, environmental, and student movements. Originally from Los Angeles, she began organizing with CODEPINK and Students for a Democratic Society while attending UCLA, and moved to DC after graduating with a degree in History & Womens Studies in 2007. Since moving to DC, Samantha has organized a little bit of everything from conferences and national speaking tours to direct actions and mobile dance parties in the streets, protesting the G20, IMF and World Bank, the influence of oil money on Congress, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to name a few. She currently has two cousins in the Marines, and two more are recent veterans.

Clarissa Rogers, Office Manager Clarissa Rogers has a BA in social ecology & radical pedagogy, an MA in Transformative Language Arts, and a professional history of administrative positions with social justice and peace organizations, including office manager at Iraq Veterans Against the War. She has a particular interest in administrative organizing and organizational capacity building. When she?s not at the MFSO office Clarissa freelances as a facilitator, workshop designer, and administrative consultant; coordinates programming at a local community center, and enjoys grassroots organizing

Elizabeth Rocci, Communications & Organizing Fellow Elizabeth grew up in a Navy family and is increasingly proud to be considered a ‘staff member’ at MFSO while studying International Conflict Analysis and Resolution at George Mason University.

Co-founders Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson of Boston, MA, Charley’s son/Nancy’s stepson served with the Marines in Iraq in 2003. They co-founded Military Families Speak Out in November, 2002, when he was deployed and on his way to the Persian Gulf.

Larry Syverson, Board Chair Adele Kubein, Vice Chair Debbie Caruth, Treasurer Jack Amoureux Rossana Cambron Rosalie Donatelli Sarah Fuhro Jeff Merrick Diane Santoriello Katy Zatsick

Membership
You are eligible to join if you have a loved one or family member who has been in the military since September 11, 2001

How do I become a member? Sign up online or send an email to mfso [at] mfso.org.

If you are interested in starting a chapter or doing a local activity, we may be able to put you in touch with other members who can help you. We also work closely with other organizations such as Veterans For Peace, Iraq Veterans Against the War, Civilian Soldier Alliance, and United For Peace and Justice that you could bring an MFSO voice to. You can also participate as an individual member in online actions, working groups and conference calls. For more information about how to get involved, contact samantha@mfso.org.