Major-General (Ret) David Fraser, who led NATO forces in Afghanistan, has excellent advice for those about to transition from military service.
Veteran success story: David Fraser
Major-General (Ret) David Fraser, who led NATO forces in Afghanistan, has excellent advice for those about to transition from military service.
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Retirement doesn’t mean doing nothing
Corporate executive, bestselling author and financial mentor at one of Canada’s leading business schools,
Major-General (Retired) David Fraser could be called one of the most successful Veterans in life after service.
But
his post-military career also focuses on helping guide fellow Veterans and current members of the Canadian Armed
Forces through various post military activities.
Continuing education
David Fraser served with the Second and Third Battalions in Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. He
served with the Reserves both at the unit level and as chief of staff for the Alberta District. His operational
command experience also includes tours in Bosnia, Cyprus and Afghanistan. He commanded the Southern NATO
Coalition
forces in Afghanistan and led Operation Medusa.
Education has been a continuing theme in David’s career. He joined the CAF after graduating with a Bachelor
of
Arts from Carleton University in 1980. He graduated from the CAF Command and Staff College in Toronto in 1990,
and
earned a Master of Management and Policy from the Royal Military College and Queen’s University in 2001.
He
went on to Command the Canadian Forces College in Toronto, implementing distant learning and rewriting the
National
Security Program for CAF leaders.
After retiring from the CAF in 2011 as a Major General, David went to the Ivey Business School. Upgrading his
financial education gave him knowledge he put to work in the private sector. His first post-service job was
Chief
Operations Officer (COO) for then-new Blue Goose Pure Foods, provider of certified organic beef, chicken and
beef.
From 2015 to 2016, David was COO of INKAS Armored Vehicle Manufacturing, which designs and builds armoured
vehicles
such as executive SUVs, cash transit vehicles and special purpose sedans.
In 2018, with Brian Hanington, David published the bestselling Operation Medusa: The Furious Battle That
Saved
Afghanistan from the Taliban, a detailed account of this crucial part of Canada’s mission in
Afghanistan.
Today, David works with Bank of Montreal, helping provide financial education and products for military members
and
their families. He is a mentor at the Ivey Business School and advocates for Veterans in the workplace, sitting
on
the boards of Open Text Corp., RouteOne and the biotech firm Plan Form.
He is also an ambassador for Wounded Warriors’ Couples Overcoming PTSD Everyday (COPE) program, which
involves
the Veteran’s family in treating post-traumatic stress injuries. With their life partners, Veterans attend
a
retreat to learn how to face operational stress injuries as a team, and how to set goals as a couple. The
couples
are then assigned professional family coaches who call them once a week for six months to help them stay on
track.
Funding from the Veteran and Family Well-Being Fund allowed Wounded
Warriors Canada to add four COPE programs
to its schedule, serving an additional 20 couples over the winter of 2019. COPE continues to be supported by
Veterans Affairs Canada.
Paying back
As a COPE Ambassador for the Toronto area, David gives speeches and keynote addresses to Veterans’ groups,
the
media and business contacts. He highlights the work of Wounded Warriors and its programs. He also gives keynote
addresses for Wounded Warriors Canada’s fundraising events. “It is interesting how many times in
various
non-related conversations, that I can insert the great work that WWC does and direct people to find information
and
help.”
Making a successful transition
David Fraser has some advice for making the transition to life after service. First, start planning your release
well
in advance. “Prepare yourself mentally for a big change. I started 18 months ahead for a different kind of
life. This is more than another posting. If you start when you retire, you’re too late. Members also need
to
take stock of skills that are transferable to non-military jobs, and the skills that they will need.
“Secondly, this is hard. All of a sudden, you have to look after everything yourself: housing, finding a
doctor, a dentist, a job. And the longer you’re in the military, the harder it is. But it is doable and
you
are not alone.”
Canadian Armed Forces members can take advantage of career transition services available. “The transition
program can help members find employers that are empathetic to Veterans’ needs.” He also recommends
seeking out programs such as Wounded Warriors or other community based services designed to help Veterans.
David also recommends that members give themselves the time they need to transition. “Take as much as six
months off before starting your new life to unwind. Take time to unwind and start enjoying life again.”
And just as important, always stay in touch with colleagues and friends from the CAF and Veteran community.
“Sharing your experiences in the military and your current life is very helpful.”
Former Mountie writes her memoir to offer hope.
“I wrote my memoir for many reasons: to offer hope, decrease judgment, and show that we are not alone, there are resources available, and we owe it to ourselves and our families to advocate for what we need.”
Defining Moments Canada hopes this project "provides students with opportunities to deepen their understanding of events and operations of this period of time while connecting to contextual information, developing critical thinking and building their digital skill sets."