FALL 2015 RETIREMENT GUIDE

BUDGET-FR San Antonio Riverwalk F

MAJ. GEN. WALTER PUDLOWSKI, USA (RET), has enjoyed a storied military career that has taken him from Vietnam to Washington, D.C., and a number of other locales as a member of the Army, the Army Reserve, and the Pennsyl- vania Army National Guard.

For the past six years, Pudlowski has served as presi- dent of the Pennsylvania National Guard Military Mu- seum about 25 miles outside Harrisburg, Pa., where he and his wife, Elizabeth, have lived since 1987. “Harrisburg has gone through a rebirth,” Pudlowski emphasizes. “There have been quality improvements in businesses coming to the area, and it’s a community that really thinks about its veterans.” Pudlowski cites the stellar medical care and veterans’ outreach programs, as well as a large military presence owing to the Pennsyl- vania National Guard headquarters, along with several nearby bases. “It’s really a nice place to live,” he adds. “And veterans are aff orded opportunities here to con- tinue using their skills.”

62 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2015 Lake Hefner, Okla. It’s estimated more than 2 million military retirees

lived in the U.S. in 2014. With retirement come some big considerations: access to military benefi ts, how to stretch military retired pay, and where to live. Here are fi ve of our favorite places that won’t break the bank.

Harrisburg, Pa. A quaint city, Harrisburg sits within view of the Ap- palachian Mountains. To the west is the Cumberland Valley, and the Lebanon Valley lies to the east. Steeped in military history, the city played an important role in the Civil War. Today, the local economy is driven largely by govern- ment, technology, and health care. It’s also home to the