The West Virginia Military Retiree Appreciation Day

02/27/2026

Pre-Registration is required. Here is the registration link:

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11/15/2024

We will be hosting a social on the evening of the 4th. This will most likely take place in the RTI but details are still being developed. Will include food and. refreshments so plan on coming hungry. Will post updates as things get finalized.

04/15/2024

This year's RAD went very well. We are still working on improvements, and I think you will see some significant differences in next year's event. This is primarily due to the fact that we already have a time and place set for it. So we can begin to project and develop plans for next year. That being said, next years event will be 4-5 April at Camp Dawson. Camp Dawson has what is billed as the 2nd largest motel in the state and it's all military. Very modern and very affordable. They have a great indoor olympic size pool, a fitness facility that is 2nd to none, a nice lounge with great food, an exchange, and a lake if you want to go fishing. In fact, they have RV lots if you want to do that. I anticipate this to be the largest RAD to date. Like always, these are open to all services and Gray area retirees are encouraged to attend as well.

04/08/2024

VENDORS AT THE RAD: A question that often comes up is "who are the vendors that will be at the RAD". While I could post a detailed listing, it actually changes up to the day of the RAD. We often have some show up that we didn't get pre-registered, and we don't turn them away, we just fit them in. We also have had a few last-minute cancellations in the past due to weather, (some fly across the country to get here) or illness or whatever. That being said, here is what to expect.

Vendors includes people representing a service company such as USAA insurance, or Veterans service organizations such as VFW, DAV, Americal Legion and so forth. There are actually more of these than you can shake as stick at and some you have never heard of that are actually quite ubiquitous in other states. We also have some Veterans Assistance officers who work directly with VA issues and some VA medical support specialist. Expect a Chaplain or two and some JAG officers or licensed legal teams to help in that area. You can even get your ID cards updated and learn how to access MYPAY or get a DSLogin where you can gain access to your entire military records file online. We have also had some exchange with Wreaths Across America and organizations such as Wounded Warrior. There will also be a ceremony to recognize our Vietnam Era Veterans. This is for anybody who served in uniform during the Vietnam War up to May 1975. Last year there was also a ceremony recognizing female service personnel and their contributions to making the Armed Forces. For many of them, especially the early ones, it was a tough career path in what was a "man's Army" (or Navy and so forth). We will attempt to do a group photo at the conclusion of the opening remarks which start at 0900 and should end at 1000. These opening briefs are quite informative and due to feedback, are getting more and more focused on what retirees want to hear about. To top it all off, there will be a fabulous spaghetti luncheon followed by the cutting of the annual RAD cake. BTW, food is free. Hope to see all of you there. If you haven't pre-registered, it's not too late. We won't turn anybody away at the door as long as they are military retirees or family of a retiree. Survivors of Military Retirees are welcome as well. Much of the career success of a Military Retiree belongs to the devoted spouse.

03/06/2024

LODGING FOR RETIREE APPRECIATION DAY (RAD)

With the Retiree Appreciation Day coming up on 13 April, I thought it may be helpful to provide an overview of some local motels. I have attached a PDF for your reference. There are several more in the area, but I tried to stay within a 10 mile radius. As you will see, military rates vary greatly and you will need to show your ID to get the military rate, so ask for it when you book. I am not specifically endorsing any of these but I am providing their contact information as well as the type of military rate that they have. These military rates vary and the total bill for one night can go from $50.00 to $143.00+. These are in order of nearest to farthest from the event. All prices are subject to change until you actually book. This is also a fairly busy weekend for the motels in that area, so I would book early. I also noted that these are all 2star motels. Some provided more detail than others but they were all friendly to talk to. If you want more information, I would suggest you call them direct. These are all direct numbers, not third party booking agents. All of the Beckley listings are along the same road, Harper Road, which appears to be a major exit for travelers. I am not including reviews of the motels, but if you want one, you can find them on the internet.

Days Inn by Wyndham 127 Ontario Dr. Mount Hope (Six miles from event) 304-719-4759 or 304 877-6455 They have a very reasonable military rate of about 30% off and have a continental Breakfast.

Comfort Inn New River 801 Mall Road, Oak Hill (Eight Miles from event) (304-465-2300 They have a 5% military discount. They are located close to a strip mall just off of Rt 19. Very friendly people to talk to.

Quality Inn New River 103 Elliots Way, Fayetteville (10 Miles from event) 304-574-8256 Very convenient to restaurant. They have a 12% military discount. You can see this motel just off of Rt 19 at Fayetteville, very easy to find.

Super 8 Wyndham 2014 Harper Rd, Beckley 304-250-4371 or 304-253-0802 This is just off of I64 in Beckley at about 10 mile from the Armory. Price is about 15% discount.

Travel Lodge 1939 Harper Rd, Beckley 304-252-0671 Just off of I64 in Beckley about 10 mile from Armory. Price is $61.00 + tax. This is the military rate they gave me. It appears to be about 15% based on what the regular rate was.

Howard Johnson 1907 Harper Rd, Beckley Just off of I64 in Beckley about 10 Mile from Armory. 304-250-4636 They have a 10% military discount.

Comfort Inn 134 Harper Rd, Beckley Just off of I64 in Beckley about 10 mile from Armory. 304-255-9091 it looks like a 10% military discount.

Hampton Inn 110 Harper Park Dr. Beckley Just off of I64 about 10 mile from Armory. 304-252 2121. They mentioned that they have a breakfast bar, and 10% military discount.

12/27/2023

This year, The West Virginia National Guard will be hosting its fourth annual Military Retiree Appreciation Day. As the momentum and interest in this event continues to expand and we continue to rotate this event throughout the state. This year we will hold this event at Camp Dawson RTI.
The intent of this day is to push the "reset button" on all things dealing with military retirees. There will be sessions on benefits, opportunities, updates on current military information and representatives from a broad range of veteran support groups, and veteran focussed support businesses. This will provide a chance for you to set up MYPAY, DS Logins, and all things related to internet/web-based information systems to include the new ID cards. This event is for all retirees/families and survivors regardless of service branch to include gray area retirees as well. It will also provide the opportunity for you to meet up with other retirees from across the state and region. I have found that the social interaction between military retirees is most stimulating and appreciated. More information will be provided in the coming days and weeks as we continue finalizing specifics. I will also provide a listing of vendors that will be participating.
We look forward to seeing you there and we also invite questions, suggestions on what you think will help make the day more valuable.

01/23/2023

This will be the second annual Retiree Appreciation Day in West Virginia. While last years event exceeded our expectations for a first ever event, we expect even more this year as we continue to build on lessons learned. This year's event will be hosted at Camp Dawson. This facility has so much to offer our retirees and we invite all military retirees regardless of branch or state residence to visit us on March 10th and or 11th. More info to follow.

01/03/2022

Please feel free to comment on types of representatives or activities that you would like to see. We are in contact with many veteran organizations but don't want to miss anything that would add value to this event.