FORT SILL, Okla. (Sept. 5, 2013) -- The 35th annual Retiree Appreciation Days (RAD) are Sept. 19-23 at Fort Sill.
But the event almost didn't come about, due to concerns over budget cuts and sequestration. Fortunately those planning it were not willing to let it go away.
"Not on my watch, was I going to let this event be cancelled," said retired Lt. Col Allen Shell, co-chairman of the Fort Sill Retiree Council. "We have the best RAD, hands down, and we decided to do whatever it would take to pull this off."
Shell said Fort Sill is the only installation that has a three-day event for retirees. This year, with budget cuts and sequestration, many posts and bases decided to cancel or postpone their events early in the planning stages, long before they could be scheduled.
Retired Command Sgt. Maj. David Kantor serves alongside Shell as co-chair of the retiree council here. He believes that this year's RAD at Fort Sill will actually have higher attendance than the 400 retirees who came last year.
"A lot of folks in this region won't have anywhere else to go to get the services that retirees need, because many other posts and bases have already cancelled their events," he said. "We had folks come from as far away as Georgia last year and we fully expect that some will come a long way to attend our event."
Kantor added that Fort Sill is the only installation that has a three-day event for retirees.
"We know how important it is for our Army retirees to come and get updates on any new policies and regulations, both on the state and federal levels which affect their retirement status. We expect there will be a lot of folks asking questions about TRICARE and the changes that are coming with retiree health care. We want to help them make the right decisions."
One of the biggest changes that retirees will notice this year is that the RAD Open House will be held in Rinehart Fitness Center, rather than at Reynolds Army Community Hospital. This change is due to renovations at RACH. More than 60 vendors and booths will offer blood pressure screening, vision screening, dental services, immunizations and other services at Rinehart Sept. 19 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
"A lot of our retirees aren't able to easily get these screenings and tests done otherwise, so we wanted to have plenty of space to spread out in the gym," said Kantor. "We think this situation will work out great."
In addition to medical services, retirees can meet with Fort Sill Legal Assistance to update their wills. Appointment times are limited, so call 580-442-5058/5059 for more information.
The events Sept. 20, begin with the retirement ceremony on the Old Post Quadrangle at 9 a.m., followed by a choice of two guided tours. The first is the traditional tour of the Fort Sill National Historic Museum on the quadrangle. And this year a second tour has been added of the historic Sherman House, which serves as the residence of the post commander, Maj. Gen. Mark McDonald, and his wife, Connie.
"The general's wife came to us after last year's RAD and graciously offered to lead tours of the Sherman House. This is a really unique opportunity for our retirees to tour this historic home," said Shell. "The McDonalds are very supportive of our retiree community and the RAD event."
After the retirement ceremony and the tours have concluded, retirees may dine with Soldiers at the Garcia Hall Dining Facility.
"The retirees really enjoy spending time eating with and talking to the current Soldiers," said Kantor. "Both groups get a lot out of this event."
At 6 p.m. the retiree appreciation banquet is at the Patriot Club on post. The guest speaker will be retired Maj. Gen. Leo Baxter, former chief of the Field Artillery Center and School here.
The final event of RAD is the Buffalo Burger Cookout Sept. 21, sponsored by the Lawton-Fort Sill Co-Op. The cookout is at 11 a.m. at Co-Op Park (on Upton Road, next to Martha Songbird Park) and is free to all retirees and members of the community.
"A lot of retirees live in our community and surrounding areas. If it were not for a lot of businesses and private contributors in the Lawton community, we could not do what we are able to do," Shell said. "The Army has so much history and tradition, and I believe it is our duty to show our retirees how much they mean to Fort Sill."
For more information on RAD, call 580-442-2645/4251.
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