VICENZA, Italy – The U.S. Army Garrison Italy is hosting its annual Retiree Appreciation Day, 24 Oct. at the Golden Lion on Caserma Ederle where retirees can have a day of take advantage of many different resources.

For those making a career in the military, retirement is the end goal and not just because they won’t have to lace their boots up anymore, it’s the various benefits that make retiring attractive.

For retirees overseas, having the same access to these benefits as U.S. based retirees, to all of the different organizations, services, and benefits isn’t usually the norm. That’s where the Retiree Services Office and Retiree Center come in. They help bridge the gap and ensure retirees are taken care of, both with the annual Retiree Appreciation Day and throughout the year.

The event allows retirees the chance to have direct support with representatives from the health and dental clinics, Social Security, Medicare, voting assistance, Army Community Service and the DEERS and ID card office among others.

Andrew Strouse, the garrison retiree services officer and also an Army retiree himself, is preparing for his first Retiree Appreciation Day with the U.S. Army Garrison Italy.

“Social Security and Medicare, that’s one of the biggest for retirees because as soon as they turn 65, they have to enroll in Medicare, even with Tricare,” said Strouse.

For those who live in Italy, the U.S. Embassy in Rome is has been very responsive when it comes to requests to enroll in either Social Security or Medicare. The federal benefits field representative for the embassy, John Paonessa, who will be in attendance at the Retiree Appreciation Day, is to thank for that, said Strouse.

“As long as John is there, obtaining Social Security and Medicare in Italy will be easy,” said Strouse.

Living overseas poses challenges for retirees, but having people around who understand what being retired in a foreign country is like, can make things easier.

Over the years, retired Army Master Sgt. Bill Murphy, the Retiree Council President, who is also a retired Department of the Army civilian, has learned how to help other retirees attain their benefits through his own personal experiences, but also through helping others.

Managing around 400 retirees and more than 1600 family members, Murphy and his team of volunteer retirees have their work cut out for them.

They answer questions from those still serving to surviving family members, to help them obtain ID cards, translate for spouses who may not speak English, and they even make house calls. However, honoring their fallen comrades and ensuring their survivors are well taken care of is their most important duty.

For the people who help retirees, including the council, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and other organizations, it goes deeper than simply answering a retiree’s question.

“We did our duty, we joined the military, went to war, whether it was three years or thirty, but basically we want to give back,” said Murphy. “We really feel that this community, the military, and the Unites States of America has taken care of us after we retired.”

Deciding to retire overseas can be a rewarding new beginning for some.

After retiring from the Army while assigned to SETAF in 2018, Ron Rinalli and his wife chose to stay in Vicenza to work and raise their son in Italian school, and to travel.

“Retiring overseas can be challenging, but I think the folks at the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) did a good job preparing us for that,” said Rinalli.

Rinalli, a Department of the Army civilian with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, said access to medical, dental, and having a more user-friendly Tricare online system is what means the most to him.

With decades of experience, knowledge and learning through helping others over the years, Strouse, Murphy and their teams, are working to know what’s important to every retiree, and how to help them on the upcoming Retiree Appreciation Day and for years to come.

This year, the guest speakers will be the Department of the Army G-1 Retirement Services Officer and the Director of Retired and Annuitant Pay.