ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly 800 military retirees and their families gathered at the University of Central Florida for the 2017 Fort Stewart Retirement Appreciation Day (RAD) Conference in Orlando, Feb. 25.
The Fort Stewart Soldier for Life Retirement Service Office and Retiree Council provides support to 50 counties in Florida, 40 counties in Georgia, and two counties in South Carolina.
Members of the Fort Stewart Retiree Council serve as a link between the retired community and the active Army, said Melvin L. Dougherty, the Fort Stewart Soldier for Life Retirement Officer. The council also finds out what issues and concerns the retiree community has and advocates on their behalf.
“If you are a military retiree, I encourage you to attend this free annual conference,” he said. “You get to speak face-to-face with lead representatives of military agencies like the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), Veterans Assistance (VA) and Delta Dental -- all in one location.”
“When issues can’t be resolved by the Fort Stewart Retiree Council, they are forwarded to the Department of the Army for action by the Chief of Staff, Army Retired Soldier Council,” said retired Col. Gerald Thompson, Co-Chair of the Southeast Region Retiree Council. “The Chief’s council has seven officers and seven enlisted members, and Fort Stewart has had a representative on the Army level Council for at least 12 years.”
Retired Sergeant Major of the Army Kenneth O. Preston, the keynote speaker of the 2017 RAD Conference said, “This conference is a great opportunity for the Army to stay connected to Army Alumni. Retirees are the ones who continue to tell the Soldiers’ story here in the USA.”
After Preston thanked the Fort Stewart Garrison and 3rd Infantry Division Command teams for making the conference possible, Preston told the room of retirees this is the first time in our history, the retired Army is now larger than the current force.
“It is important to stay connected with Soldier for Life,” said Preston. “The Army still depends on you to serve as Army recruiters.
| Date Taken: |
02.25.2017 |
| Date Posted: |
03.02.2017 14:21 |
| Story ID: |
225252 |
| Location: |
ORLANDO, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: |
70 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, Service Given, Service Returned: Fort Stewart Retiree Appreciation Day 2017, by MSG Nikki Glanton, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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