About the Founder

 Verónica founded the Pink-Slipped in Combat Project under the Pink-Slipped Veterans Initiative out of deep frustration over the unjust treatment of U.S. Army service members in the years leading up to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Many of these Soldiers dedicated their lives to service, enduring multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq at great personal and familial cost—only to be abruptly informed that their service was no longer needed. Among them were 48 U.S. Army Captains who received their separation notices while still deployed in Afghanistan’s combat zone.

April 2025 will mark the 10-year anniversary of the U.S. Army’s involuntary separation or early retirement of approximately 2,000 Captains and Majors under the FY2014 Officer Separation Boards and Enhanced Selective Early Retirement Boards. Yet, this dark chapter in military history remains largely unacknowledged, and little is known about how these forced separations shaped the lives of those affected.

As the wife of a former U.S. Army officer who served during this turbulent period, Verónica witnessed firsthand the toll of war—not just on her husband and the Soldiers deployed, but on their families as well. With each deployment, her husband’s unit suffered casualties, and some who returned home later succumbed to suicide. She saw the deep scars left on service members and the devastating impact these involuntary separations had on morale within the Army community.

For the past decade, Verónica has relentlessly examined the legal authorities that allowed the Army to forcibly separate or retire non-probationary Officers without due process. From this research, the Pink-Slipped in Combat Project and the Pink-Slipped Veterans Initiative were born.

The Pink-Slipped Veterans Initiative is dedicated to ensuring that the personal stories of these service members—their duty, sacrifice, and perseverance—are documented as part of the historical record, shedding light on a forgotten yet critical episode of modern military history.

Through the Pink-Slipped in Combat Project, Verónica is committed to locating and honoring all 48 Captains who received notice of involuntary separation while serving in Afghanistan. Her mission is to recognize their contributions and ensure their experiences are formally chronicled as part of the U.S. Army’s force restructuring history of the 21st century. Above all, she hopes this project will restore dignity, respect, and recognition to these Captains, removing the undeserved stigma they have carried for the past decade.