To commemorate 20 years of loyal service in the Armed Forces many retiring servicemen and women receive a gift which is symbolic to represent their loyal service during their Armed Forces service. This military retirement gift is well deserved and should received with honor and pride.

A shadow box is usually presented to the retiring serviceman or woman containing an American flag together with other symbolic insignia; symbolic of their role whilst in the armed forces. There are other items presented at a specially held dinner for retiring service personnel which may be the chosen gift of the person due to retire and could include a beautifully made garden seat or rocking chair with a place to inscribe service details to show that it is a commemorative gift. Other commemorative gifts have included a small occasional table inscribed with the name and service crest and dates of service of the retiring member.

A photograph can be turned into a piece of artwork, by choosing a photograph from a memorable moment during their service history members can be presented with a larger framed version in an artwork style and with a brass plaque at the bottom showing their name and dates of service. A military shadow box is perfect for this application. Thought should be given when choosing a gift for someone who is retiring from the armed forces to ensure that the gift matches the person it is being purchased for. Many service personnel who are coming up to retirement may be interested in old military memorabilia such as an old the commissioned firearm which could be inscribed with a brass plaque bearing the retiring persons name. A hobby or interest which could be something like a love of dogs or gardening or models may help when considering what would be the best present to buy. There is no doubt however that a gift to commemorate a loyal service history is one which would be treasured for a very long time.