From staff reports
Beaufort County Veterans Affairs employees Caroline Fermin and John Abney were nominated for and won two prestigious awards st the annual meeting hosted by the South Carolina Association of County Veterans Affairs Officers.
Fermin, the Director, was named County Veterans Affairs Director of the Year for 2025, while John Abney was named Associate Member of the Year for 2025.
Fermin was nominated by Col. Neal Pugliese, USMC (Ret), for County Veterans Affairs Director of the Year. Pugliese is the Beaufort Representative for the S.C. Military Affairs Advisory Council of the S.C. Department of Veterans Affairs.
He recognized Director Fermin’s efforts and contributions including: her unwavering commitment to revolutionize Beaufort County Veterans Affairs and significantly enhance its support for veterans; her implementation of processes and programs that have brought about a significant transformation; her tremendous success has been creating and sustaining several vital strategic partnerships at the federal, state, and local levels; her service as a Warrior Advocate Leader traveling to Capitol Hill twice a year to advise legislators on bills that directly impact the lives of hundreds of thousands of veterans; the immeasurable support of state legislation on issues that specifically impact on our County veteran population, such as end-of-life care, assisted living, and similar matters; holds four end-of-life Planning Seminars each quarter.
Fermin is creating workshops to address emerging requirements, such as financial literacy for women veterans, rural veterans, and social worker symposiums as well as the newly created partnership with Lowcountry Legal Volunteers, a local 501(c)3, to offer “wills and powers of attorney” free of charge to our veteran population and holds quarterly clinics.
Nominated by Fermin, Abney was recognized for his outstanding contributions, strong leadership, and unwavering dedication to our veterans and their families in Beaufort County.
A 20-year retired Master Sergeant from the Marine Corps, Abney worked tirelessly to break into the Marine Corps Transition Assistance Program, and he has transformed the department’s role as speakers in both the Transition Readiness Seminar (TRS) and the Spouses Transition Assistance Readiness Seminar (STARS).
His relentless efforts ensure that the 1,100 separating service members and their families receive timely and accurate information about their VA benefits, job search, and other post-service resources, helping transitioning Marines, Sailors, and their families approach civilian life with confidence and clarity.
Abney’s dedication to supporting and delivering quarterly Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) claims clinics aboard our three installations has set a new standard in veteran assistance. By providing direct assistance with VA benefits to those preparing to leave the service, these clinics have significantly enhanced the speed and efficiency of claims processing, establishing a proactive standard of veteran support in our state.
