Armed Forces Retirement Home facts for kids
The Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) is a special place for military veterans and active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces to live after their service. There are two of these homes: one in Gulfport, Mississippi and another in Washington, D.C.. They offer a safe and comfortable place for older service members to live independently.
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What the Homes Offer Today
In 1991, two older homes for veterans joined together to form the Armed Forces Retirement Home (AFRH) Agency. These were the U.S. Naval Home (started in 1834) and the U.S. Soldiers' and Airmen's Home (started in 1851). In 2002, they were officially named The Armed Forces Retirement Home – Gulfport and The Armed Forces Retirement Home – Washington.
These homes are like modern retirement communities. Residents can live on their own in a place designed to be safe and comfortable. Military veterans from all parts of the service can live at either home. Currently, almost 900 men and women, mostly in their eighties, live there.
Residents can come and go as they please. Meals are served three times a day in dining halls. There's a Wellness Center that offers medical, dental, eye, and foot care right at the home. There are also many fun things to do, like a swimming pool, gym, movie theater, and computer game room.
Residents can bring their own cars or RVs. The homes also offer rides to local hospitals, military stores, and shopping centers. As residents get older, they can get more help if needed. This includes "Independent Living Plus," "Assisted Living," "Memory Support," and "Long Term Custodial Care."
You can find all the rules for who can live at the Armed Forces Retirement Home on their website: www.afrh.gov. People who served in the military for a long time get first choice. Generally, you might be able to live there if you are 60 years old and served for at least 20 years. Also, veterans who can't work because of a service-related injury, or those who served in a war zone and can't work later, might be eligible. Women veterans who served before June 12, 1948, may also qualify.
History of Caring for Veterans
The idea of caring for soldiers after their service came from Britain. Long ago, in the 1500s, England started passing laws to help soldiers returning from wars. Many of these soldiers were injured or couldn't work. The government wanted to make sure they were taken care of. This would also encourage others to join the military.
In the late 1600s, King Charles II built a home for injured soldiers called the Royal Hospital Chelsea. This was instead of giving them a retirement payment.
In America, during the 17th and 18th centuries, colonies passed laws to help injured colonial soldiers. After the American Revolution, the government offered some disability payments. But they didn't want to pay full retirement pensions. Eventually, officers received a payment equal to five years of their salary, and enlisted soldiers received $80.
It wasn't until 1885 that the Army and Marines got retirement plans for enlisted members. The Navy followed in 1899. Because there were no retirement pensions for a long time, there was a great need for homes for disabled and older soldiers and sailors.
In 1794, the U.S. Congress decided to build a small Navy. Later, in 1798, they passed a law to create doctors and hospitals in port cities for merchant sailors. This service eventually became the U.S. Public Health Service. The next year, in 1799, Navy sailors were allowed into these hospitals.
Sailors had 20 cents a month taken from their pay to help fund the "Naval Hospital Fund." Money from fines charged to misbehaving sailors also went into this fund. Today, all active duty military members contribute 50 cents a month to the "Armed Forces Retirement Home Trust Fund." Fines still go into this fund.
In 1811, Congress approved building U.S. Naval Hospitals. This included creating a "permanent asylum" (meaning a safe refuge) for disabled Navy officers, sailors, and Marines. This "asylum" was meant to be a place for them to live instead of getting a retirement pension.
This led to the purchase of the Pemberton Estate in 1826 for $17,000. It had a large house for a hospital. A new building, called Biddle Hall, was finished in 1834. It cost about $195,600 to build. Most of the money came from the Naval Hospital Fund.
Biddle Hall was used for many things. It housed the pensioners, staff, a Naval Hospital, and even a school for young naval officers. This school was a very early version of the Naval Academy at Annapolis. Some residents were buried on the grounds and later moved to Mount Moriah Cemetery.
Life at the Philadelphia Home changed over time. In 1834, there were five residents. By 1885, there were 220. Residents had a small private room with simple furniture. However, some parts of the building, like the basement, were damp. The attic rooms were too hot. It was also hard for older residents to climb many stairs to the dining area.
Soldiers Home Begins
The United States Soldiers' Homes were approved by Congress in 1851. The idea for an Army home had been around since 1827. People like Major Robert Anderson (famous for Fort Sumter) worked hard to make it happen. They wanted to find a way to pay for a Soldiers' Home without using public money.
Major Anderson found that money from fines from military courts and 20 cents a month from each active duty soldier could create a fund. He estimated this would bring in about $42,642 a year. He also figured out how much it would cost to care for each person. He sent his ideas to Congress, showing that no money from the public treasury would be needed.
A big boost came in 1847. General Winfield Scott received $150,000 in gold from Mexico City. He used some of it for his troops. The remaining $118,791.19 he put in a bank for an "Army Asylum." This angered the Secretary of War. But General Scott refused to give the money to the Treasury, and he eventually won.
In 1851, Senator Jefferson Davis helped pass a bill to create "Military Asylums." President Millard Fillmore signed it into law. The new leaders decided to build four homes: in New Orleans, East Pascagoula, Harrodsburg, and Washington, D.C.
Life at the Homes Over Time
For many years, the Naval Home and the Soldiers' Home had the same goal: to care for older and disabled service members. But they had different rules, funding, and traditions.
In the 1800s
The Naval Home rules from 1834 said the asylum would provide a chaplain, medical care, living spaces, clothes, and food. Residents had to give up any disability pension to the home. They also had to work at the asylum if they were able. They had to follow all the Navy's rules.
The "Military Asylums" (later called the U.S. Soldier's Home) were created in 1851. Disabled veterans from the War of 1812 and later could be admitted. Marines who served in Mexico and were injured could also join. The rules were similar to the Naval Home. Residents gave up their pensions, worked if they could, and followed orders. They also received a small payment of one dollar a month, which they called "the monthly dollar." The Soldiers' Home even had a "Guard House" for residents who left without permission.
Life Today
Today, residents at the homes can choose to work in many paid or volunteer jobs. For example, residents help run the home libraries. Other areas, like the wood shop and bicycle shop, are run entirely by residents.
Many fun activities are available for free:
Gulfport Activities
- Outdoor swimming pool (for laps and water aerobics)
- Fitness center with exercise programs
- Library with books, audio, and videos
- Work areas for arts & crafts, woodworking, and painting
- Bike shop
- Bowling and bocce center
- Card, game, and recreation rooms
- Computer classroom and computer center
- Media room for movies and presentations
- Area for live entertainment and dances
- Large grounds with basketball, horseshoes, and walking paths
- Bicycling
- Bus tours to local attractions
Washington Activities
- Nine-hole golf course and driving range (golf carts provided)
- Two fishing ponds with different types of fish
- Fitness center with exercise programs
- Walking trails
- Two large libraries with books, audio, and videos
- Work areas for ceramics, woodworking, painting, and other hobbies
- Auto hobby shop
- Bowling
- Card, game, and recreation rooms
- Computer center
- Garden plots
- Large theater for movies and live entertainment
- Bus tours to local attractions
How the Homes Are Funded
The Armed Forces Retirement Home is mostly funded by itself. Money comes from:
- Monthly fees paid by the residents.
- Fines and money taken from military pay.
- Gifts and money from selling property.
- Interest from investments.
The main idea is that the homes should not cost the public money. However, sometimes during wars, economic problems, or natural disasters, the funding system needs help. That's why Congress can provide money if needed. For example, the Naval Asylum needed public money to be built after its trust fund lost money. The Gulfport home needed public money to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. The Washington home is getting public help to fix damage from the 2011 earthquake. But most of the time, the homes pay for themselves.
AFRH and the Department of Veterans Affairs
After the Civil War, there were many more veterans who needed care. The existing homes were not enough. So, a system of eleven homes with hospitals was built across the country between 1865 and 1930. These institutions became the foundation of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA's job today is to help veterans with hospitalization and rehabilitation.
The Department of Veterans Affairs has representatives on the "Armed Forces Home Trust Fund" board. However, the Armed Forces Retirement Home is an agency of the Department of Defense. It is separate from the VA and mainly serves as a retirement home today.
Important Buildings
The Soldiers' Home in Washington, D.C., has many interesting historic buildings. Some of them are still standing today. Four of these buildings are very old, from before the Civil War, and are considered National Historic Landmarks. The campus is next to two historic cemeteries: Rock Creek Cemetery and United States Soldiers' and Airmen's Home National Cemetery.
Anderson Cottage
This building was built in 1843 as a summer home for a banker's family. It was one of the first pieces of land bought for the U.S. Military Asylum. It was renamed Anderson Cottage after Major Robert Anderson, one of the founders. It housed the first residents of the home. Today, it is known as President Lincoln's Cottage and has been a National Monument since 2000.
Scott Building
Construction on the Scott Building began in 1852 and finished in the 1890s. It is named after General Winfield Scott. The building was designed in a Norman Gothic style. It could house 100 to 200 residents. Its tall clock tower was used as a watch tower during the American Civil War. It helped watch for attacks, especially during General Jubal Early's raid on nearby Fort Stevens. This building is currently closed because it was damaged by the 2011 earthquake. The clocktower needs a lot of repairs.
Sherman Building
The Sherman Building was built in the 1850s. It is connected to the Scott Building. Its outside is made of white marble.
Stanley Hall
Built in 1834, this building was once a recreation center. Today, it serves as the Home's Chapel.
Sheridan Building
This building was started in 1883 and was built as a dormitory, a place for residents to sleep. It has three stories and is made of red brick.
Grant Building
Construction on the Grant Building began in 1911. It was built to be a barracks (sleeping quarters), a mess hall (dining area), and a recreation center.
Community Engagement—Friends of the Soldiers Home
In November 2011, the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington and the local community decided to work together more. This led to the creation of "Friends of the Soldiers Home."
Since December 2011, this group has partnered with the Home to hold many volunteer events. By the end of 2015, they had done 158 events. In 2015 alone, about 225 people volunteered over 1,500 hours of their time.
Regular events include monthly Jingo (like Bingo), Happy Hour, Saloon Night, and Bowling. Each spring, the Home and Friends group pair community volunteers with veteran residents. Together, they tend vegetable gardens in the Friends Garden Project.
The Friends group also holds yearly community celebrations with the Home. These include Spring Fling in May, July 4 Fireworks, and Fall Fun Fest in October. In December, the Friends and residents gather for the annual holiday tree lighting and a holiday dance. Thousands of people from the community have attended these events. This helps connect the residents and the historic campus with the surrounding area.
You can find details about volunteer opportunities on the Friends of the Soldiers Home website.
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FY 2011 Budget
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FY 2011 Budget
