An opportunity for military retirees from all branches and their spouses to listen to speakers and learn about topics relevant to them is coming up soon.
Fort Riley’s annual Retiree Appreciation Day will be at Riley’s Community Center this Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Doors will open at 7:30 a.m..
“Elements of the 1st Division Infantry Division band will be there to play at the early hour and will be available,” Retiree Appreciation Day Chairman retired Col. C. Kay Hutchinson said. “We’ll do the National Anthem, the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation at 8:30 a.m. so get there early.”
The day will also include various speakers, including retired Air Force Col. Kurt Carraway, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Research Executive Director at K-State Polytechnic, who will be speaking at lunch.
“Drones get mentioned almost every day,” Hutchinson said. “Everybody’s using them. Some of it’s pretty scary. As an aviator, I’m scared of them.”
While the registration deadline for the lunch has already passed, there may be a few tickets for sale at the door for $18.
Retirees from all military branches, along with their spouses, are welcome to attend the day’s events. Fort Riley serves approximately 43,000 retirees in Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, but those from other states are also welcome to attend.
Irwin Army Community Hospital spokesperson Jerri McBride says people will also have the opportunity to attend a health fair to learn about services and benefits available to them at Fort Riley’s annual Retiree Appreciation Day.
“We will have the benefits counselors there,” McBride said. “We can answer questions about the pharmacy, about TRICARE Plus program and eligibility. TRICARE enrollment will be open from November 11th to December 9th. We will also have VA and DoD sharing-agreement programs that we can discuss with you.”
Influenza, pneumonia, shingles and Tdap vaccines will also be available via walk-in beginning at noon. Some vaccines may be limited for those who are under 65 years old.
The address for Riley’s Community Center is 446 Seitz Ave..
