For decades, they lived two lives. By day, they were teachers, engineers, police officers, or small business owners. They coached Little League, attended PTA meetings, and built civilian careers.
But one weekend a month, and two weeks every summer, they put on the uniform. And when the call came—for deployments to the desert, for hurricane relief, or for domestic emergencies—they left those civilian lives behind to serve.
They are the Citizen-Soldiers: the men and women of the National Guard and Reserves.
Their retirement is a monumental achievement. It represents not just 20 or 30 years of military service, but decades of balancing that service with a full civilian life and family. Yet, their retirements often don't get the same fanfare as their active-duty counterparts. There's no massive base ceremony, no final "fly-off."
Their sacrifice was different, and their retirement gift should reflect that unique journey.
Here is a guide to meaningful gifts that honor the "twice the citizen" service of the Guard and Reserve retiree.
1. The Symbol of the Long Haul: The Officer's Saber or NCO's Sword
Just like their active-duty peers, Guard and Reserve officers and NCOs earn the right to carry the sword or saber. However, because they wore their dress uniforms less frequently, many never purchased one.
Retirement is the perfect time to rectify that.
For the family looking for the ultimate retirement gift, a regulation sword or saber mounted on a handcrafted display is powerful. It is a tangible acknowledgement that their service was just as "real," just as demanding, and just as honorable as anyone else's.
Our Universal Sword Display is the perfect choice for the Citizen-Soldier’s home.
The Aesthetic: Available in Black Walnut or Natural Maple, it’s designed to look like a piece of fine furniture that fits into a civilian home office or den, rather than looking like it belongs in a barracks.
The Narrative: It anchors their military identity within their civilian home, visually representing the balance they maintained for so long.
Shop the Universal Sword Display Collection
Explore All of our Dedicated Sword Display Styles
Didn't buy a sword during your service, it's never too late to get one!
2. Telling the Dual Story: The Personalized Coin Display
A Guard or Reserve career is a patchwork of experiences—unit drills, state activations, federal deployments, and joint training exercises. Their challenge coin collection reflects this diverse journey. You’ll find coins from their home unit right next to coins from a combat deployment thousands of miles away.
A Solid Maple Coin Display is the perfect way to tell this story.
Curate the Journey: Don't just dump them in a jar. Encourage them to display the coins that define their career—their original unit coin, a coin from a major deployment, and their retirement coin.
Personalize It: Engrave the display with their name and service dates to create a permanent timeline of their commitment.
3. A Tribute to the Family: The Commissioning or Retirement Plaque
For the Citizen-Soldier, service is a family affair. The spouse who held down the fort during deployments, the kids who missed birthdays—they served too.
A Personalized Photo Plaque is a wonderful way to honor that shared sacrifice.
The Photo: Use a photo from their retirement ceremony that includes the whole family, or a picture of them being pinned by their spouse or children.
The Engraving: Use the custom text space to acknowledge the family's role.
LTC John & Sarah Smith
Twenty Years of Service & Sacrifice
"Together We Served"
This makes the gift about more than just the individual; it honors the entire "home team."
"Twice the Citizen"
The retirement of a National Guard or Reserve member is the closing of an incredible chapter. They served their community, their state, and their nation, all while building a life outside the uniform.
Don't let this milestone pass with a generic gift. Give them something that honors the full scope of their dedication—both in and out of uniform.
Always Ready, Always There.
- The Blades Raised Team
