Retiree appreciation day a success

  • Published
  • By James Spellman
  • 60th Medical Group Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  More than 550 retirees and their dependents turned out Saturday to partake in the annual Travis Retiree Appreciation Day at David Grant USAF Medical Center.

The six-hour event was packed with a wide range of activities from guest speakers and vendors to an outdoor cookout with entertainment by the local Honeybee Trio.

"I was told we had retirees from all over," said Col. Joseph Weaver, 60th Diagnostic and Therapeutic Squadron pharmacy flight commander and lead coordinator for this year's event. "There were a lot of good comments when the retirees left. On Sunday at church, I was told this was the best event in years. They loved being able to get immunizations and the chicken patties at lunch got rave reviews."

According to Weaver, he also was told numerous times during the event how nice it was to see a uniformed colonel greet the retirees as they entered DGMC.

"Another comment that was repeated over and over was that it was great we gave them a gift bag as they entered," Weaver said.

Volunteers prepared 600 gift bags in advance. Only 50 remained after the event. Each gift bag contained items supplied by more than 24 local and outside vendors and more than 15 sponsors and contributors, including an edition of the Tailwind base newspaper focusing on some of the medical services available at DGMC.

The remaining gift bags were taken to the Exchange satellite pharmacy to be given to patients picking up their prescriptions.

Briefings on TRICARE, Tri-West, MiCare, Solano Veteran's Affairs, Mortuary Affairs, Sacramento Veteran's Cemetery and Defense Finance and Accounting Services were conducted in the DGMC Auditorium. Travis leadership and local dignitaries attended.
Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Shane Ostrom, certified financial planner and deputy director of the benefits information department of the Military Officers Association of America in Washington served as special guest speaker, providing a legislative update from MOAA. Retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. George Moses served as master of ceremonies and drew door prizes.
As if that wasn't enough, more than 250 retirees were able to get flu immunizations while attending a health fair in the DGMC dining room. An additional 74 also were seen for whooping cough, shingles and vaccinations against pneumonia while another 21 were able to get their wills, advance directives and other legal information tended to by the base legal office and medical law consultant.

Meanwhile, local community supporters from the American Legion, Daughters of the American Revolution, Blue Star Moms, Vanden High School's junior Air Force Reserve Officer Training Core program and others were recognized by the 60th Medical Group and 60th Aerospace Medicine Squadron commanders for their numerous contributions and support of all wounded warriors who transition through the 60th Aeromedical Staging Facility.

In addition to DGMC medical staff, volunteers from the 60th Air Mobility Wing, Sacramento State Air Force ROTC, family members of 60th AMW, First Sergeants Council and the Retiree Affairs offices rounded out the affair.