Warrior to Patriot Citizen by Donna Hoffmeyer
Transition is difficult to navigate for everyone. In this book, Donna provides resources and information that will make the process much less stressful.
Our goal is to get this book into the service members’ hand at no cost to them. In an effort to accomplish this, we started a crowdfunding through You Caring . We are encouraging companies/small businesses/individuals to donate to the crowdfund and we will send books to veteran focused nonprofits.
San Antonio, TX — After 18 years of service as an Air Force nurse, Donna Hoffmeyer is well aware of the struggles that transitioning veterans face. So, she wrote a book to address problems and outline solutions. It’s available now and she joined me for a quick interview to talk about it.
DJS: What were the most important skills or lessons that you learned in the military?
DH:
Resiliency and no fear to try /learn anything. I’ve had jobs that I’ve had very little working knowledge and I’ve been able to find my resources to get the job done. It’s given me confidence to try new things I may not have considered before.
Why did you decide to write this book?
DH:
The initial seed was planted watching service members going through a medical board. They would panic wondering how they were going to be able to support their family. One minute they were in, the next they were out and often lost. I always thought “We can do this better.” I just didn’t know how.
The part that catapulted the book was a happenstance. A mutual friend between Kevin and myself made a comment on FB regarding service members. Kevin responded with “Service Members need a new mission when they get out.” It resonated with me and subsequently he called me. He was already an author and I told him that was the next book he needed to do. He said “Write it with me.” So I did! However, we made the focus on the entire population that were transitioning due to retirement, medical retirement or separation; not just those who were retiring from a full military career. We wanted this to be a tool to assist the service member to prepare and plan so they can pursue their passion/desire/interest when they transition.
DJS: Did you face any struggles in your initial transition?
DH:
I didn’t feel like I struggled overall. I promised myself I would leave the military when I stopped having fun. That happened in 2006. I had a game plan, socked away money for the transition and focused on my new goals. However, little did I realize I did grieve a little — I missed the structure and empowerment I had. I found myself comparing civilian nursing to military nursing, finding the positive in military nursing and dearly missing it.
DJS: What type of resources are covered in your book?
DH:
We put in a wide array of resources. It is a small sliver of what is out there, but a great place to get started. We have Educational, employment, Women’s veteran groups, volunteer, services and general resources. Most importantly, we have tips from the transitioning service members and veterans. There is no way this book could be successful without input from the experts…the ones that are either transitioning or have transitioned.
DJS: What are the most common mistakes or struggles that transitioning service members make when first leaving the military?
DH:
I think there are various issues. I’ll cover a few:
- Not preparing or putting together a game plan together while in the military to enact when they retire/separate.
- Unsure how to navigate/research the civilian world.
- Not assessing their needs and reaching out to the proper resources to assist.
- Not knowing how to market themselves.
- Not prepared for the grieving process that may occur.
DJS: How do you get veterans to talk more about themselves and to sell themselves better?
DH:
Practice! They have to identify it as an area they need to improve and go to experts that can assist them. Centurion Military Alliance (CMA)is an example. They help them write resumes and go through mock interviews.
DJS: What are your personal favorite resources for veteran career advice, resumes, education and other VSOs?
DH:
- CMA is doing awesome things! It is run by a family, all prior military. As I said above, they help with education/resumes/interviews. Great folks!
- Veterati, great mentoring site.
- Change your POV — awesome podcast by two veterans (Army and USMC). They are always bringing on guests that offer resources.
- G.I. Bucks — HUGE central online resource for service members and veterans. All kinds of discounts…including published and unpublished military airfare. These are just a few of the many many resources out there that are making it happen.
DJS: What specific advice would you give to junior enlisted, such as E-5 and below?
DH:
Always had an exit strategy! Invest in your retirement — TSP, 401K. The new blended retirement provides opportunity for the young service members to build a nest egg and have something to fall back if you decide to separate or find yourself medically retired.
Invest in your education! Take classes, be willing to learn a job no one else is interested in…you may be surprising how valuable the skill set will be in the future. Think about what you would be interested in pursuing in the civilian world and research it. Know what the requirements are, what it pays, what room there is for movement. Be curious!
DJS: Your book has 12 info-packed chapters. Are there any that you consider the most important? Why?
DH:
Ch 10 is my favorite because it is a real life example that embodies the whole book. But as far as most important, I think each person will find sections they find most useful. It may be 1 or 2 chapters, it may be the whole book.
DJS: What sets successful transitioning veterans apart from the unsuccessful?
DH:
They have a plan, they are flexible, they are persistent, problem solver and relentless…and they learned how to network, market themselves in a language the civilian world understands.
DJS: What one piece of advice do you have for anyone reading this?
DH:
You gave up a lot in the military. ..it is now your time. Have a plan to be able to pursue your passion…you deserve it.
Our goal is to get this book into the service members hand at no cost to them. In effort to accomplish this, we started a crowdfunding through You Caring. We are encouraging companies/small businesses/individuals to donate to the crowdfund and we will send books to veteran focused nonprofits.
If people would like to buy direct they can go to our website (listed below) or Amazon. Same price…only difference is we receive a higher percentage of profits through our website, which allows us to continue helping more veterans.
For a FREE sample of the book, you can view a chapter here.
For more information on the book:
Webpage: www.warriortopatriotcitizen.com
Email: warriortopatriotcitizen@gmail.com
FB/@warriortopatriotcitizen
Instagram/warriortopatriotcitizen
Twitter@WTPCbook
Bio
Donna Hoffmeyer is an 18 year U.S. Air Force nurse. Her career has spanned both active duty (12 years) and reserves (6 years), with a 4 year stint as a military dependent. Currently, she is a Regional MEDCON Program case manager at Randolph AFB. She has transitioned once; understands the stressors that occur during the process; and knows with planning and the right resources, transition can (and should) be more exciting and less stressful.
Are you interested in sharing your story of transition? Or are you a military transition specialist who would like to share some tips? Send me an email at MilitaryTransitionStories@gmail.com
The goal of this series is to bridge the military-civilian divide in three ways: 1) Highlight the incredible skills and value that military veterans of all generations and backgrounds bring into the workplace. 2) Help transitioning veterans understand their true value and therefore aim as high as possible in their employment and educational goals. 3) Discuss the common struggles, pitfalls and indicators of success in veteran transition, in order to provide better transition assistance from both military and civilian sides.
