COCOA BEACH, Fla. – 87 percent of U.S. military recruits join the U.S. Armed Forces between the ages of 17 and 24. Every year, many of the 200,000 military service members who exit or retire have little or no civilian adulthood experience and aren’t sure where to begin to organize their lives and maximize the benefits of having served.
David Ferrier, author of the stunning Vietnam memoir, “A Cry for Mercy in the Night,” told The Free Press that his second book, a self-help guide for military veterans, facilitates self-direction to the exiting or retiring military service person. The book is titled “After Your Military Service: A Way to Succeed.”
Ferrier wishes his book was available when he exited the U.S. Army. He served in the 571st Medical Detachment Dustoff Unit in Viet Nam where he rescued the wounded and dying in unarmed helicopter ambulances. He received some “pat-on-the-back” advice prior to his honorable discharge, but had no real life plan or much of an inkling of how to formulate one. Ferrier said today’s statistics prove military veterans need help getting back into the swing of real life, despite the U.S. Military’s exit program, often humorously referred to as “Death by Power Point.”
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“Many vets joined the military without any experience as an independent adult. My book helps them get ready to live independently, find a job and get needed documents. It’s also a planner, reminder and data source that is self-paced and helps them measure their progress to becoming a self-sufficient person.”
Ferrier strongly recommends that military service men and women begin their organized approach six months prior to their exit or retirement. He also encourages them to fully utilize their military benefits, which are not often utilized despite their tremendous advantages. “Less than 50 percent of veterans will use their GI Bill educational benefits and less than 50 percent of those who do will receive a degree…Fewer than 12 percent of veterans will use their VA home loan benefit,” he said.
In his book, Ferrier covers many of the website addresses for military information on benefits and programs, and explains how to get needed documents, counseling and advice. He covers the necessity of financial planning and available resources, as well as employment and entrepreneurship resources that assist with everything from getting a job to formulating a business plan.
Ferrier’s books are published by Battle Press in Satellite Beach. They are available through battlepress.media, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other stores.
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