National Guard salutes military retirees at Jefferson Barracks event

Missouri National Guard Chief of Staff, Col. Wendul G. Hagler, addresses a meeting of the 20+ Armed Forces Association at Jefferson Barracks Saturday. Seated is Command Sgt. Maj. James Schulte, the Guard's senior noncommissioned officer. (Bill Phelan photo)

By Bill Phelan
Ngmo.pao@US.ARMY.MIL

ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. - After serving more than 20 years in the military, some retirees find the myriad of Veteran's benefit programs a bit confusing, while others are unaware of what programs are available to them.

Enter the regional chapter of the 20+ Armed Forces Association, a military retiree organization who hosted an appreciation day event Saturday at Jefferson Barracks designed to thank Veterans for their service and provide valuable information about available Veteran's benefits. More than 150 members attended the event at the Joint Armed Forces Reserve Center, where Col. Wendul G. Hagler, Missouri National Guard chief of staff, was the featured speaker. Command Sgt. Maj. James E. Schulte, the Missouri Guard's senior noncommissioned officer, also addressed the crowd.
"We are constantly trying to find ways to engage our retirees and make sure they stay included in this organization," Schulte told the group.

In addition to seeing old friends, attendees were offered information on legal and financial advice, health insurance, real estate, and even funeral arrangements. Organizations represented included the American Legion, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and military service organizations such as Operation Homefront and the Family Readiness Group.

"We want to keep our membership briefed on what current benefits they are entitled to," explained David Riley, of High Ridge, the chapter president and a retired master sergeant who served a combined 26 years in the National Guard. "Sometimes military retirees can get swept under the rug, so we want to reach out to these folks and let them know what their benefits are."

"A lot of programs that are in place for the Guard today we didn't have available to us," added Bill Leeper, of south St. Louis County, a retired command sergeant major who served 31 years. "Most of what we did for Guard families was generated from within the unit."

Hagler pledged the continued support of the active duty National Guard for its retired servicemen and women.
"These meetings are key outreach events between those actively serving in the National Guard and our retirees," he said. "You have earned privileges and benefits as a result of your service and we want to provide you with access to them. You should benefit from your military service instead of suffering from it. Too many of our military men and women are suffering as a result of military service and that it just not right. That's why we're reaching out to you today."

Riley and Leeper are both members of the Missouri National Guard Retiree Council. For more information about the organization call 573-638-9797.

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