Retiree Appreciation Day Oct. 21

  • Published
  • By Derek Kaufman
  • 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Base officials hope to attract military retirees from throughout the Dayton region to attend this year's Retiree Appreciation Day Thursday, Oct. 21, at the Hope Hotel adjacent to Gate 12A of the base.

The annual event features guest speakers, free medical screenings, refreshments, information booths and numerous door prizes. Doors open at 7 a.m. with free refreshments, followed by opening ceremonies and presentations starting promptly at 8 a.m. A buffet lunch at Hope Hotel will also be available to all attendees for $6.99.

Retired Air Force Col. Paul Moore, director of the Retiree Activities Office, said the event is designed to inform and recognize all military retirees, spouses, widows and widowers throughout the Miami Valley. Presentations are also useful to those preparing to retire in the next 12 months, Colonel Moore said.

The Dayton Veterans Administration Medical Center will have its new Veterans Mobile Clinic onsite adjacent to the Hope Hotel. The mobile clinic travels to rural counties to enroll and provide primary care services to veterans, said Jason Casto, Dayton VA outreach coordinator. It's staffed by a physician, nurse, social worker and VA benefits enrollment administrator who provide vets with basic-health assessments, coordinated medical treatment, and social work services on-site.

Scarlet Bauman from Shalimar, Fla, will highlight the Air Force Enlisted Village located near Eglin Air Force Base. The Air Force Enlisted Village is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity that provides a home for the surviving spouses of enlisted personnel.

Col. Michael Schaffrinna, 88th Medical Group deputy commander, is slated to provide an update and answer questions about healthcare services at Wright-Patterson Medical Center. The Medical Center, one of the Air Force's largest, provides care for nearly 57,000 eligible military beneficiaries in the region with a full spectrum of medical services. Men and women from the 88th Medical Group are also charged with training to provide medical care for joint warfighters at deployed locations around the world, as well as teaching the next generation of Air Force medics.

Another returning featured speaker is retired Army Maj. Gen. William Matz, a Drexel, Penn. native who serves as President of the National Association for the Uniformed Services. The general, an advocate for all uniformed services members, discusses and answers questions about topics of particular interest to retirees like benefits changes and legislative issues, Col Moore said.

"I'm privileged to travel across the country to meet with service members, veterans and retirees to learn about what concerns them most. There are some sweeping proposals being considered to military Tricare benefits that are being discussed in Washington that I think retirees will want to learn more about," said General Matz. Tricare is the military's managed health program.

The Hope Hotel and Conference Center is located at Building 823 adjacent to Ohio State Route 444 in Fairborn, Ohio. For more information or to volunteer, visit: www.wpafb.af.mil/units/rao  or call (937) 257-3221.