June 8th Book Release Update: Twenty Percent Soldiers Tells the True Story of a Pennsylvania Couple Facing the Unique Family Challenges of America’s Part-time Soldiers and Airmen

Allentown, Pennsylvania – A new book by Pennsylvania residents Susan and Kevin Dellicker tells the true story of a Lehigh County couple balancing life and work while supporting four-combat zone deployments with the Pennsylvania National Guard. Their unique account is written from the dual perspectives of a military wife supporting her family at home and a Guardsman conducting special operations mission’s overseas. The book is set for release on June 8, 2020 in hardcover, paperback and e-book formats at booksellers nationwide including Amazon.com.   All net proceeds of the book will be donated to charities focused on national guard, military, veteran family support efforts.

A growing list of prominent advocates for military veterans and their families have taken notice of the book:  

“The Dellickers’ engaging account of life in the National Guard is a fitting complement to the brave men and women who serve part-time in the US military and the families who support them,” said Tom Ridge, 43rd Governor of Pennsylvania and the First U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security.

Jessica Garfola Wright, Major General US Army (Retired) and former Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness described the book as “AN AMAZING MUST READ.” She said the account is an “awesome story” that delivers “an extraordinary view into the life of a citizen-solider and his supportive wife and family.”

The book, Twenty-Percent Soldiers describes how part-time reservists and their families routinely jump back and forth between military duties and civilian life in rapid succession, often without the knowledge of their neighbors or active duty counterparts. And, since most reservists live in communities far away from military bases, many families do not have access to the same family support resources as the full-time force.

“We want other National Guard families to know they are not alone,” said Susan Dellicker, co-author of Twenty-Percent Soldiers. Her husband, Kevin Dellicker, a 25-year veteran of the National Guard, agreed.

“If we can help more Americans better understand the life of a part-time reservist, perhaps we can drive policy changes that will improve the family support system,” he said. “That is what we hope to accomplish.”

Susan and Kevin plan to donate 100% of the book’s net proceeds to military family support charities.

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Kevin and Susan Dellicker wrote their book, Twenty Percent Soldiers, and launched their family-support efforts as private citizens; and not in any official or military capacity. Their views and statements are strictly their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense, National Guard, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, federal, state, or local governments. The release of their book in no way implies any endorsement, support or acknowledgement of factual accuracy or policy by the Department of Defense, National Guard, Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, federal, state, or local governments.

The Pennsylvania National Guard Associations, PNGAS, is the only organization exclusively promoting the highest levels of readiness, modernization, and quality of life for our 19,438 members and 67,500 veterans of the Pennsylvania National Guard, their spouses, and military families. PNGAS strategies focus on making sure our men and women have the very best equipment, resources, and training. Over the next 12-months, the Pennsylvania National Guard must recruit more than 2,300 new members to replace Guard members who have completed their commitments and/or retired. As a direct result, PNGAS priorities reflect the critical need to attract, train, retain and employ the quality women and men in the Guard and recognize the institutions that help optimize recruitment, retention, and procurement strategies of the Pennsylvania National Guard.  The PNGAS mission is to help members, veterans, and their family’s access and get the benefits they have earned. www.PNGAS.org, https://pngas.jobboardhq.com/