Retired Soldier Councils have been established by Army Regulation at three levels in the Army in Europe to provide the Army leadership at all echelons with advice and recommendations regarding vital issues and concerns of Retired Soldiers and their Families and surviving spouses and to serve as a conduit to facilitate and strengthen communications between the Active Army and the Retired Soldier community.
The councils are:
- At the local level, the Garrison Retired Soldier Councils (GRSCs)
- At the theater level, the Army in Europe Retired Soldier Council (AERSC, and
- At the Army level, the Chief of Staff, Army, Retired Soldier Council (CSARSC).
In addition, the US European Command has established the European Tri-Component Retiree Council (ETRC).
Garrison Retired Soldier Councils
(GRSCs)
The GRSCs at the seven enduring garrisons in the Army in Europe serve as advisory bodies to Garrison Commanders and IMCOM-Europe on matters relating to Retired Soldiers. The GRSC is the first stop for Retired Soldiers to having their questions on retiree matters answered and to make their issues and concerns know.
They consist predominantly of Retired Soldiers volunteers who serve as the primary interface between the Retired Soldier Community and the garrison commander who is responsible for day-to-day operation and management of installations and base support services.
The members of the GRSCs are appointed by the Garrison Commander and work closely with the Garrison Retirement Services Officer, who is responsible to the Garrison Commander for ensuring the delivery of the services of the installation Retirement Services Program and the Survivor Benefit Program. The GRSC meets at least twice a year, usually quarterly.
For further information, see: AR 600-8-7, Retirement Services Program, with AE Supl 1)
Army in Europe Retired Soldier Council
AERSC
The AERSC serves as the primary advisory body to the CG, USAREUR, on matters relating to Retired Soldiers. The objectives are to:
- Provide CG, USAREUR and Commanders of Army in Europe organizations, the Director, IMCOM-Europe, and Garrison Commanders and their staff insight into vital theater-level issues and concerns of retiring and Retired Soldiers and their families and survivors
- Provide the Retired Soldier community in Europe a means of communicating with the Regular Army attending to the special concerns of Retired Soldiers by recommending issues and concerns that the CG USAREUR and the council chairperson determine to be appropriate for discussion by the CSARSC.
The members, Retired Soldiers volunteers residing in Europe, are appointed in name of the Army Service Component Commander by the USAREUR DCofS, G1, who serves as the program proponent. The AERSC is responsible for maintaining contact with RSP officials at the Department of the Army, Retirement Service Progam offices at the United States European Command, and the service component commands located in theater (USAFE and USNAVEUR), as well as maintaining a close and cooperative relationship with IMCOM-Europe, the organization responsible for executing the RSP in theater. The AERSC meets quarterly.
For further information, see: AR 600-8-7, Retirement Services Program, with AE Supl 1)
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/AR600-8-7_Web_Final.pdf
USAREUR Supplement 1
https://media.defense.gov/2018/May/30/2001924190/-1/-1/0/AR600-8-7-S1.PDF
European Tri-Component Retiree Council
ETRC
The purpose of the ETRC is to identify concerns and issues of mutual interest to retired military service members residing in the countries in the US European Command are of responsibility, to develop a unified approach for the resolution of each of the identified concerns and issues, and to provide the Commander, US European Command, and the component commanders with insight into vital concerns and issues of the retired service members in theater.
The ETRC is composed of the senior staff member responsible for military retiree matters in each of the component commands, i.e., USAREUR, USNAVEUR, and USAFE, and the president/chairperson of the retiree council in each of those components. The ETRC meets twice annually.
Chief of Staff, Army Retired Soldier Council
CSARSC
The purpose of the CSARSC is to provide the Chief of Staff, Army, with
- Advice and recommendations regarding vital issues and concerns of Retired Soldiers and their Families and surviving spouses,
- An assessment of how current Army programs and initiatives and proposals for new laws and policies may affect the Retired Soldier community, and
- Strengthen communications between the Active Army, the Army Nation Guard, the US Army Reserve and the Retired Soldier community.
The CSARSC is composed of Retired Soldiers volunteers and co-chaired by a retired general officer and a retired senior NCO. Prospective members are nominated in CONUS by Installation Commander and overseas by Army Service Component Commanders and appointed by the Chief of Staff, Army. The CSARSC reviews issues forwarded by Army commanders in the field and determines which should be reported to the CSA and which can be addressed at the installation level. The CSARC meets annually.
Copies of the CSARSC Reports can be found at:
https://soldierforlife.army.mil/Retirement/csa-retired-soldier-council
For further information see: AR 600-8-7, Retirement Services Program
https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/pdf/web/AR600-8-7_Web_Final.pdf
Retired Soldier Council Interface
The graphic below depicts the interrelationship between the various Retired Soldier Councils and with the commanders they advise.
The GRSCs raise issues and concerns presented to them to the Garrison Commander, in coordination with the garrison Retirement Services Officer. The Garrison Commander considers and implements the appropriate changes within his or her authority and refers those beyond his or her authority to Director, IMCOM-Europe.
The Director, IMCOM-Europe, with the advice of the Retirement Service Program Manager, considers and implements the appropriate changes within his or her authority. Matters of procedures or standards that should be but cannot be implemented are referred to CG, IMCOM. Matters of policy and oversight are referred to the USAREUR DCofS, G1, who is the program proponent for the Army Service Component Commander in Europe.
The USAREUR DCofS, G1, with the advice of the AERSC, considers and implements the appropriate changes within his or her authority, and refers those beyond his or her authority to the Department of Army G1.
The Department of the Army G1, with the advice of the CSARC, considers and implements the appropriate changes within his or her authority.
