daijobu Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 DH has been invited to a retirement ceremony for a friend who is a colonel is the US Air Force. He apparently taught flying (?), and the ceremony will be at Luke AFB in Arizona. Neither of us has had much exposure to the military. I won't be attending, but I'm curious what will likely occur. Just curious. Thanks! 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 Let's see if can remember dh's retirement (it's been 15 years, so my memory might be fuzzy). Since your dh isn't in the Air Force, his name will be put on a list of friends and family, and he will likely have a seat reserved for him. When he arrives, he'll check in, and an airman will show him to his seat. There will be a color guard (bringing in the flags) and the National Anthem. The retiree can have someone sing it, or they'll play a recording. (I sang for my dh's retirement. We have a friend who sang for her dh's recently. I think they can invite anyone they wish.) There will be speeches and a small token gift (they're not allowed to spend very much on gifts, somewhere around $20, so the gift will have some meaning attached. There will likely be a funny or heartwarming story associated with each gift. Dh gave real silver dollars to several people, and he received a shadow box that contained a folded American flag, as well as his service medals and the commemorative coins from each of the divisions he'd worked in. Usually, the retiree will receive a medal. There will be lots of photographs and hand shaking. Afterward, there will be a reception. These are usually casual, I believe. Depending on the venue, it may be immediately following the ceremony, or it may be a short time later, at a different location. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El... Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 There will be some things to stand up for, but there will be a speaker who will tell everyone what to do, like an MC. "Please stand for the arrival of the official party and remain standing for the..." It will be sweet and fun! I hope you have a great time celebrating! Oh, and maybe give him extra friend time over the next while: coffee, lunch, etc. Retirement is a shock to many, even if they move to another job immediately. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HomeAgain Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 2 hours ago, elroisees said: Oh, and maybe give him extra friend time over the next while: coffee, lunch, etc. Retirement is a shock to many, even if they move to another job immediately. This. It's kind of a 3 month, 6 month, 1 year, 3 year thing. At 3 months the "newness" wears off and the world feels upside down and you don't really have a place. At 6 months, it feels really real and permanent and weird. And that you have nothing in common with your coworkers and they're doing things all wrong and inefficiently and there's no real guidelines for how things are supposed to be. At 1 year, you realize you've been gone long enough for policy changes, PCSs, and so forth so it feels like a different military and you don't have much in common with them anymore. At 3 years is the itch. The looking to move but not actually moving, the feeling like you should deep clean and toss things, and wanting to look at other jobs around the country but realizing your kids will actually have that weird kind of life where they have a family home to go back to and friends all through school. These are just general guidelines, but it seems to be a pattern that most go through. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TravelingChris Posted October 9, 2019 Share Posted October 9, 2019 My dh's retirement was so different. He was a physicist in the USAF and retired 5 years ago. Some of it was the same but in his case.we were in a video conference room since his superior officer was in the DC area. Most people who retire from the military go right into a job or a job very shortly. The strangest adjustment is not moving. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daijobu Posted October 10, 2019 Author Share Posted October 10, 2019 I guess in the civilian world, when you retire, there isn't really any formal ceremony. Maybe people take you out to lunch or go out for drinks on your last day. Of course it would be different in the military, but I had never thought about it. I hope dh brings back pictures! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suzanne in ABQ Posted October 10, 2019 Share Posted October 10, 2019 (edited) 12 hours ago, daijobu said: I guess in the civilian world, when you retire, there isn't really any formal ceremony. Maybe people take you out to lunch or go out for drinks on your last day. Of course it would be different in the military, but I had never thought about it. I hope dh brings back pictures! They will have an official photographer. They may take special pictures of the retiree with his family and special guests (including your dh). I would think that his friend would share these pictures with you. I remember that my family couldn't come to dh's retirement, so we invited our close friends. Our friends expected to just sort of sit in the back of the room and watch, but they were given seats of honor, right in the front row. There were even signs with each of their names on their seats. They were treated like dignitaries. They were so surprised and delighted! Their daughters were rather awed by the whole thing. I hope the people planning your friend's retirement make it as special for his guests. Retiring as a military officer is definitely a big deal. Edited October 10, 2019 by Suzanne in ABQ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.