David Wilson was born on the 28th October 1968 in Bangour, Scotland, the son of a soldier, David Joined the Scots Guards on the 18th June 1985, after which he served in Northern Ireland (South Armagh) in 1987/88, Belize in 1988/89, he had “a couple of relatively easy tours” of Canada and the United States of America; he held the rank of Lance Corporal.

David left the army in 1990 to settle down his wife and young family, working for Group 4 for five years before transferring to the Isle of Wight working at Westland Aerospace. In 1996 David joined the Prison Service; he spent seven years at HMP Camphill and then moved down to HMP Parkhurst where he has been a Prison Officer ever since.

In May 2009 the `Veterans in Prison Association` was developed, it has evolved into an organisation that has a bright and productive future, VIPA`s plans are to help veterans reduce their re-offending by encouraging them to comply fully with their sentence plan targets as well as using any spare time they have in a productive and progressive manner. VIPA will help veterans that are leaving prison to gain additional skills/vocational training that will help enhance their prospects of reemployment and resettlement into society and the wider Veteran community.