RAO serves retirees across UK

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Preston Webb
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The Joint RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath Retiree Activities Office serves as a focal point for the retired military community and the active duty force in the greater U.K. area.

"The office, which is staffed entirely by volunteer workers, helps retirees living in the U.K. from any branch of military service find answers to any issues they might have," said Jack Kramer, Joint RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath RAO volunteer co-director.

RAO volunteers direct retirees to the proper agencies to handle any problem they may have -- they act as a single point of contact for retirees anywhere in the U.K., said Roland Boucher, Joint RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath RAO volunteer.

"There's a retired Marine living on an island off the coast of Scotland who lost his ID card," Kramer said. "We walked him through everything he needed to do to get another card issued."

Volunteers, with the RAO, can also advise active duty service members on a number of commonly overlooked issues, Kramer said.

"It's considerably easier to retire in the states," Kramer said. "Many medical plans don't pay retirees outside of the U.S. once they reach a certain age."

The RAO is also responsible for coordinating the local Retiree Appreciation Day, an annual celebration which honors past service members' dedication to service and country, Boucher said. Retiree Appreciation Day alternates between RAF Mildenhall and RAF Lakenheath each year.

Each year, a committee from the wing hosting Retiree Appreciation Day coordinates with volunteers with the RAO to set up everything from an "icebreaker social" to static displays of various aircraft.

"We're thankful to the 100th Air Refueling Wing, 48th Fighter Wing, and the RAF Mildenhall Passenger Terminal for the facilities and support that they give us," Kramer said.

Volunteers with the RAO alternate manning the office to keep the doors open and provide the roughly 3,000 retirees living in the U.K. with as convenient hours as possible, Boucher said.

The volunteer-manned RAO recently had to reduce its hours due to insufficient manning, Kramer said. The RAO is open to anyone who would like to donate their time to help keep the doors open longer.

For more information, contact the RAO at DSN 238-2039 or commercial 01638-542039.