Past severe winters experienced in the United States, combined with escalated fuel prices and other unattractive conditions such as higher taxes, inflation, crime, urban decay, etc., have forced numerous American retirees south to more climatically favorable and economically amenable areas. Many have ventured into foreign lands in search of these amenities and some have established retirement residency in the nations south of our international border. Among these adventurous retiree migrants are significant numbers of American military retirees who have histories of extensive foreign travel and residence during their military careers. This book is about that migrant group and its settlement in Central America and parts of Mexico. It examines the places where these migrants have settled, determines why they have chosen those specific places for retirement, describes their characteristics, explains how the migration takes place, and discusses its consequences. Also, it provides a brief history of United States military personnel in foreign areas, with emphasis on the relationship between their frequent relocation and their propensity to migrate after retirement, and describes the world distribution of the 1.2 million members that comprise the military retiree population.
