Charlotte Richter | Staff Writer
Post organizations offered resources and refreshments to retirees during Retiree Appreciation Day Oct. 30 at the Post Exchange and Commissary.
Retiree Appreciation Day is an annual event observed on the last Saturday in October. Several organizations supported Retiree Appreciation Day this year, including Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers, the Retiree Council, Veterans Affairs Eastern Kansas Health Care System and the Army and Air Force Exchange System.
The Fort Leavenworth Adjutant General’s Office provided the opportunity to convert military and dependent identification cards to retiree status, and Munson Army Health Center provided flu shots.
Mike Fuller, director of Human Resources, Fort Leavenworth Garrison, said Retiree Appreciation Day recognizes retirees and allows the community to show appreciation for
their service. He said there are 17,500 military retirees within 50 miles of Fort Leavenworth who are invited to enjoy the day.
Fuller said many retirees come to Retiree Appreciation Day to receive a flu shot and catch up with some of the friends they made during their service.
Col. Garrick Cramer, commander of Munson Army Health Center and Medical Department Activity, said the timing of Retiree Appreciation Day was ideal.
“Retiree Appreciation Day this year fell on the beginning of flu season, so it’s the perfect
match to get a flu vaccine as the retirees are coming in,” Cramer said.
He praised the support from AAFES for providing the space to administer the flu shots. MAHC staff provided several hundred vaccinations during the event.
“We’re just happy to give back to the community,” Cramer said.
New to Retiree Appreciation Day this year was a coloring contest for post elementary school students. Fuller said about 100 children participated in the contest. First, second, and third place were awarded for the best drawings in two age-group categories. The
winning artwork was on display in the PX foyer, and AAFES included printed versions
of the drawings as thank you cards in swag bags for retirees.
In the kindergarten through third-grade category, second-grader Zoe Allen from MacArthur Elementary School was awarded first place, third-grader Issac Lee from Bradley Elementary School was awarded second place, and third-grader Katie Calvert from Eisenhower Elementary School was awarded third place. In the fourth-grade through sixth- grade category, sixth-grader Doyeon Park from MacArthur was awarded first place, fifth-grader Penelope Davis from Bradley was awarded second place, and fourth-grader Chase Wallace from MacArthur was awarded third place.
“We wanted to make sure the retirees felt appreciated, so we went to the schools and let the students show their appreciation through their artwork,” Fuller said. “It’s just a way to connect the different generations, with the kids and the retirees.”
Brett Rosene, chief of the Fort Leavenworth Military Personnel Division – Adjutant General, said the event had a higher attendance rate than expected.
“It’s an opportunity to show how much we support the retiree community,” Rosene said.
“(Retirees) are a big part of this area, and we really appreciate everything that they do.”
Rosene said he recognized this type of support from the Fort Leavenworth community
during his retirement, and he said he enjoys connecting with retirees and their families.
“As retirees, we’re trained in the military, we’re trained throughout our career to take care of soldiers, take care of our people that are around us,” Rosene said. “Even though we take off our uniform and go into a new job, that’s still instilled in us. We want to take care of our soldiers and our families and when they take off the uniform, we still want to take care of them.”
Rosene encouraged retirees to take advantage of resources available to them. Retiree
services are accessible through the VA and through Fort Leavenworth programs, such
as the Transition Assistance Program, which aids both retirees and their dependents as
the transition from the active-duty lifestyle, and the Retiree Council, through which they
can present subjects of interest to the Fort Leavenworth Garrison.
