Noting that the Army’s Retirement Service Organization (RSO) will be 50 years old in November, John Radke, chief, Army Retirement Services, presented a comprehensive overview of pre- and post-retirement benefits and opportunities to a small but interested audience on the opening day of AUSA’s Annual Meeting.

In his Oct. 3 presentation in Washington, Radke emphasized the importance of the Retirement Services Organization’s (RSO) essential function, that of program and policy oversight and of educating both pre- and post-retirement service members.

That the Army is the only branch of service with a full-time staff to oversee retirement issues is evidence enough, according to Radke, of how important the Army considers retiree issues.

Critical to his role as chief, Radke noted the importance of the Chief of Staff Army Retiree Council. The council consists of 14 officers and NCOs who are selected from similar smaller councils throughout the Army. The council’s purpose is to look for and address major issues.

Among the concerns the council and Radke have tackled in 2005 are improving healthcare, improving communication and education, sustaining funding for the “Army Echoes” publication, and maintaining a partnership with IMA (Installation Management Agency) to enforce policy and establish common levels of support.

Radke explained -- and provided a brief but valuable rationale for -- the “Forgotten Widows” benefit, which covers surviving spouses of soldiers who died in uniform but likely, had he or she lived, would have enrolled in the Survivors Benefit Program (SBP). In addition to a modest monthly payout of $197, the surviving spouse receives a one-time flat payment of $13,000.

In addition, Radke said, that the Veteran’s Administration’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) can now be extended to surviving spouses if they remarry after the age of 57. Radke also said that the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA) could be as high as 3.8 percent in this fiscal year, which would be the largest increased in 14 years. For additional information,

Radke encouraged attendees to visit the Army Retirement Services homepage.