Retiree Activities Offices in Europe: what they do and how to find one

August 5, 2026RetireesEuropeBy the OCONUS Veterans team

Why you want to know these people

Retire in Europe and you quickly learn that nobody hands you a sponsor packet anymore. Your unit, your first sergeant and your S1 shop are gone. When DFAS gets your address wrong, when a surviving spouse needs help with the Survivor Benefit Plan, or when you just want to know whether you can still get a room at the lodge, the people who can point you the right way are usually in one small office on post: the Retiree Activities Office or the Retirement Services Office.

This guide explains what those offices are, what they can and cannot do, and how to find the one nearest you in Europe.

RAO, RSO: what is the difference?

The names vary by service, and people use them interchangeably, but there is a real difference in who runs them.

The Air Force describes its RAOs as run by a volunteer director who gathers retiree concerns and shares information about programs that affect retirees, and says RAOs typically put on a Retiree Appreciation Day at least once a year. The Air Force program is governed by DAFI 36-3106, the Retiree Activities Program instruction.

On the Army side, the IMCOM-Europe Retirement Services Office was established on 1 October 2007 and supports all Army retirees, annuitants and survivors living in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Each garrison RSO runs post-retirement services for retirees and families in its area.

The Navy keeps its own Retired Activities Office list on the MyNavy HR Retired Activities page. Marine Corps retirees in Europe will usually find the nearest Army RSO or Air Force RAO the quickest place to start.

What these offices can help with

From the services listed by IMCOM-Europe garrisons and the Air Force, here is what a retiree office can typically do for you:

• Survivor Benefit Plan. Help keeping SBP and Reserve Component SBP elections in order, and counseling survivors on SBP options and applications, including how VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation affects SBP.
• Retired pay problems. Army RSOs use the DFAS retiree system to help resolve pay matters and update information for retirees, family members and survivors.
• Lost records and IDs. Advice on replacing a DD Form 214, retirement orders and military ID cards.
• Referrals. Pointing you to the right office for VA, TRICARE, Social Security and Medicare questions.
• Local know-how. Space-A travel basics, base services, lodging and MWR eligibility, and the local customs and shopping rules for retirees.
• Community. Retiree councils, Retiree Appreciation Days, and newsletters or email lists with retiree news and events.
• VA connections. Some garrisons host VA Overseas Military Services Coordinators. USAG Rheinland-Pfalz, for example, lists an OMSC available at Kleber Kaserne on the first Tuesday and Wednesday of each month, by appointment.

What they cannot do

• They cannot change the rules. Retiree privileges in host nations, like shopping, APO mail and lodging, are set by the Status of Forces Agreement, U.S. Forces regulations and host-nation law. The RAO can explain them, not waive them.
• They are not VA. For a VA disability claim, use a free VA-accredited representative or a VA OMSC. See VA claims from overseas.
• They are not lawyers or tax preparers. For immigration, wills or host-nation tax, they can usually refer you to legal assistance or local professionals.
• Volunteers have limits. Volunteer-run RAOs may keep short hours or close when they lose volunteers. Call or email before you drive in.

Army Retirement Services Offices in Europe

IMCOM-Europe lists these RSO offices. Numbers below are commercial numbers as dialed inside the host country, from the IMCOM-Europe contacts page (last modified February 2024). Offices move, so confirm before you go.

A couple of offices post their hours. USAG Bavaria's RSO lists Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. USAG Rheinland-Pfalz lists Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., closed noon to 1 p.m., at Building 3245, Room 217, Kleber Kaserne. Calling from outside the host country, add the country code (+49 Germany, +32 Belgium, +31 Netherlands, +39 Italy) and drop the leading zero.

Air Force Retiree Activities Offices

Air Force RAOs live at individual bases. A 2018 Ramstein Air Base article describes a volunteer-run RAO serving the Kaiserslautern Military Community, with programs such as Retirees Helping Retirees. Because RAOs are volunteer-run, the most reliable way to find a current office, hours and contact is the Resource Locator on the My Air Force Benefits site, along with the Air Force Personnel Center's retirees page. If your nearest Air Force base elsewhere in Europe does not show an active RAO, ask the base's Airman and Family Readiness Center who handles retiree questions.

How to find and use your nearest office, step by step

1. Pick the closest installation to where you live, regardless of branch. Many offices will help any retiree who calls and hand off branch-specific issues; ask when you call.
2. Look up the current contact. Army: the IMCOM-Europe RSO contacts page or your garrison's retiree page. Air Force: the My Air Force Benefits Resource Locator. Navy: the MyNavy HR RAO locator.
3. Call or email first and ask for an appointment. Hours can be short, especially at volunteer-run offices, and calling ahead saves a wasted trip.
4. Bring your paperwork: retiree ID, DD Form 214 or retirement orders, your latest retiree account statement from DFAS, SBP paperwork, and anything related to your question (letters, bills, denial notices).
5. Get on the mailing list. Ask to be added to the office's retiree newsletter or email distribution list. Garrisons such as Rheinland-Pfalz say you must request it.
6. Mark Retiree Appreciation Day on your calendar. These events often bring benefit briefings and representatives from several agencies together in one place.
7. Tell your spouse where the office is. If something happens to you, your survivor needs to know who to call first. Write it down with your SBP information.

Example (hypothetical): a retired Army sergeant first class living near Vilseck gets a DFAS letter about his SBP coverage that does not match his records. He emails the USAG Bavaria RSO, books a morning appointment, and brings his retirement orders and SBP election form. The RSO walks him through what DFAS needs and how to submit it, and adds his wife's contact to the survivor outreach list.

Good questions for your first visit

You get more out of a retiree office if you walk in with a short list. These are worth asking in Europe:

• What do retirees here need to shop on post, and where is the nearest U.S. military customs office?
• Can retirees in this country get APO mail, and how do I apply?
• Which lodging and MWR facilities can I use, and are there limits on length of stay?
• When is the next Retiree Appreciation Day, and is there a retiree council I can join?
• Does a VA Overseas Military Services Coordinator visit this installation, and how do I book time?
• Who handles ID card appointments for retirees and family members here?
• If I die, who should my spouse call first, and what will they need?

For survivors: start here

If you are the surviving spouse of a retiree in Europe, the retiree office is often the best first call after the funeral home and the embassy. Army RSOs counsel survivors on Survivor Benefit Plan options and applications, and can help you sort out what DFAS needs and how SBP fits with VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. Bring the death certificate (with a translation if it is not in English), the retiree's ID, your own ID card, your marriage certificate and any SBP paperwork. For family benefits more broadly, see our spouses and family page.

Volunteer: the offices run on retirees

Air Force RAOs are staffed by volunteers, and Army retiree councils rely on volunteer secretaries and members-at-large. If you have a few hours a month, your local office probably needs you, and helping other retirees is one of the best ways to stay plugged in after the uniform comes off. Ask the office what roles are open. You can also meet fellow retirees through our events page or host a meetup of your own.

Keep reading

For base privileges in Germany, including the Pink Card and APO Box R, see Retirees in Germany: what the base can and cannot offer. For a wider view, read Military retirees overseas and Veterans in Germany.

OCONUS Veterans is not affiliated with DoD or any military service. Office locations, hours and phone numbers change; confirm them on the official pages before you visit.

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Published August 5, 2026. Information only, not legal, tax, immigration or medical advice. Confirm with the official sources.