I find it important to keep up with old friends. Most of the friends I have now I'm still in touch with from my Navy days back in the 90's. Of course, some of it depends on your location and what you do. When I got out of the Navy in '98, I moved to New Jersey to take a job. In the years I've lived in New Jersey, I found it is the hardest place I've ever lived in which to make friends. I'd occasionally meet up with people for a few months, but they all drifted away. Jersey is the kind of place where the attitude is "if you didn't go to high school with us, then fuck you".
I since moved to Northern Virginia, where most of the people are military transplants like me, so it's much easier to make friends in this area since most people have similar mindsets.
And like others say, try to keep in touch with RVF members. I know they have meetups in DC, but I live in Fredericksburg, more than 50 miles from DC, so meeting there is inconvenient. If any RVF members like somewhere between Woodbridge and F-burg, I'd be willing to meet for a few beers.
I since moved to Northern Virginia, where most of the people are military transplants like me, so it's much easier to make friends in this area since most people have similar mindsets.
And like others say, try to keep in touch with RVF members. I know they have meetups in DC, but I live in Fredericksburg, more than 50 miles from DC, so meeting there is inconvenient. If any RVF members like somewhere between Woodbridge and F-burg, I'd be willing to meet for a few beers.