Nearly 1,400 servicemembers reside in a retirement home located on 300 secure-park-like acres, nestled in the heart of our Nation’s Capital. No longer called “The Old Soldiers’ Home,” USSAH has evolved from an “asylum for the old and disabled soldier,” to a retirement community that offers a secure and comfortable life-style filled with activity. Although called the Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home, the Home is now open to eligible veterans from all the uniformed services.

Whereas “inmates” once lived in eight-man squad rooms, all of today’s members have private rooms, and many have private baths and walk-in closets. Ongoing renovation will enable all members to have private baths and amenities such as cable TV, air-conditioning and elevators.

Three meals a day are served in a modern cafeteria that seats 1,400 people. The facility offers a wide variety of food, including short-order, special diet lines, and a salad bar.

Health care services range from community nursing and assisted living for those in the dormitories, to primary, intermediate, and skilled care at the King Health Center. This 220-bed, well-equipped, long-term care facility is dedicated exclusively to the members at no additional cost and is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.

A city within a city, USSAH has its own banking facilities and post office, as well as three chapels, a large gymnasium and a six-lane bowling alley. Residents can ride on the Home’s private bus for a day at one of the Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, or any of the many local attractions in the area.

For those interested in hobbies, there are arts and crafts shops that cater to everyone’s talents, such as woodworking, ceramics, photography, oil painting, and picture framing. Near the well-groomed, nine-hole golf course and driving range, are garden plots and two tranquil lakes, which offer sportfishing for crappie, bass, bream and catfish.

Financed by enlisted servicemembers, this unique institution is an independent federal agency in the nature of a congressional trust and has never been funded by taxpayers dollars. The trust is supported by active-duty, monthly payroll deductions of 50 cents; fines and forfeitures imposed on wayward military members; interest from the trust fund; and a 30 percent user fee paid by the residents.

Membership of USSAH is made up of veterans from the Armed Services whose active duty service was at least 50 percent enlisted or warrant officer and who are:

• Retirees at least 60 years of age;
• Veterans unable to earn a livelihood due to service-connected disability; or
• Veterans unable to earn a livelihood due to nonservice disability and who served in a war theater.

If you want additional information or an application packet write:

Admissions Office
USSAH
Washington, DC 20317
Telephone: 1-800-422-9988
http://www.afrh.com/sol-airm.htm

Much of this information has been provided by the Uniformed Services Almanac.™
Click here to learn how to obtain a copy.