Ways To Celebrate a Military Retirement

Military retirements work a bit differently than traditional civilian ones. Whereas many people work throughout their life and retire once and for all after age 65, ready to head off to the beach or the golf course, those in the military often leave earlier. Because they can receive a generous pension after 20 years of faithful service, service members often leave once they hit that mark, a phenomenon called cliff vesting.

This means that military retirement celebrations have a lot of variances based on the age of the retiree and their future plans. If you are in some part responsible for coming up with ways to celebrate a military retirement, keep the retiree in focus and don’t fall into generic retirement stereotypes. If they’re happy by the end of your festivities, that’s all that matters. For help, consider these ideas based on your relationship to the retiree.

Close Family

Close family—military spouses, kids, and whoever fits into this bubble—are most important for recognizing their service and making a big deal out of this transition to civilian life.

Reminiscing Together

Unless a retiree would prefer not to talk much about their service, reminiscing as a family unit helps them process their past and look forward to a new future. For those who were deployed thousands of miles away, this is a precious opportunity to remember how hard it was to be apart, yet how glad you all are to be together now. Stories of hurried phone calls, long gaps in communication, and receiving long-awaited letters are all valuable during this time and illustrate what you pushed through as a family. And now, looking ahead, they teach you thankfulness for what (and who) you have nearby.

Even if they never left the states, reminisce about how the military affected their life and, in turn, the family’s. Discuss what values came from their proximity to service and how they motivated action. Did everyone adopt certain traditions on holidays such as Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day? Did any kids join the armed forces because their mom or dad inspired them? These and so many other conversations allow a retiree to understand the true ramifications of service as they leave.

Have One-on-One Days

Service members who depart after 20 years are likely around 40 years old. They’re returning to a family very much in motion, perhaps with kids in the house. Retiring is a time for reconnecting and reprioritizing, and spouses or kids can help this along by initiating special one-on-ones.

Kid Days

Depending on a child’s age, time alone with Mom or Dad gives them another opportunity to ask about their service. Beyond that, they can focus on celebrating time together again, unfettered by military obligations. Given the space the armed forces take up in someone’s life, these days having fun as parent-and-child are crucial for envisioning what the relationship will look like. These are more valuable than any party you could throw.

Spouse Days

Meanwhile, a military couple has a lot to figure out during retirement. If a retiree is younger, a couple may need the retiree to find a civilian job as well as rebudget, shuffle household responsibilities, and much more. Spend time away from these occasionally tense discussions by devoting yourselves to each other for a day. The sooner, the better, so you can celebrate the blessing of being around each other more.

Plan a Party Tailored To Them

Everyone enjoys a different kind of celebration. Some appreciate a big, loud bash while others prefer small, intimate gatherings. Though parties vary, they’ll usually include cake and decorations. You can press into the military theme by decking out your home in green, brown, and tan streamers and banners and crafting a camo-colored cake. Otherwise, some recognition of their branch is a must, even if it’s not the main focus.

When you go to invite others, adhere to authorities’ recommendations regarding gathering during this pandemic. Hosting the festivities outside is an option for in-person fun. In the end, though, a virtual event with friends, extended family, and fellow service members that supplements a family-based party may be the way to go.

Extended Family and Friends

Outside the immediate family circle, extended family and friends have a role to play in celebrating a military retirement.

Going In On a Gift

Every retirement party needs a gift that provides the perfect punctuation mark. To make a big gesture possible, get in touch with others and go in on a fancy patch display or a crystal plaque. A patch display (or shadow box) provides retirees a way to tell their military story and journey through the ranks in an attractive, visual way. Meanwhile, a quality, custom military retirement plaque made from crystal is a dignified piece that will forever remind them of their service and others’ generosity.

Write a Letter

A handwritten letter, while less expensive, makes an impression on their heart. If you have unique stories and perspective on their formative time in the military, offer those up here. Your letter will serve as one part of a collective memory of this period. They may even keep it just as long as their crystal plaque.

Fellow Service Members

More than anyone else, a retiring soldier’s fellow comrades know what service looked and felt like. They experienced the disorientation of deployment together and drew close in a foreign place. If they worked behind the scenes in a confidential operation, they tackled stressful times with one another as support. This bond means fellow service members must be part of a retirement commemoration.

Compile Video Interviews

As soldiers maintain physical distance, they can assemble a video tribute to their friend. If you’re one of them, here’s your chance to let loose about what they meant to you and talk about how your shared experiences formed you. You may remember how much they missed their family, how they coped with the impossible, and how they maintained their focus. You’re uniquely capable of painting an entire picture of service—the stress and discomforts along with the successes and relief—with honesty because you were there.

No matter your relationship to the military retiree, you can customize a crystal plaque from Crystal Central to flesh out your words of thanks and love. And beyond celebrating military service, we also have other offerings. Visit our website to browse our Christian, teacher, anniversary, and police academy graduation gifts, among many others.