RAPID CITY - Old Army buddies like to get together, drink a few beers, swap stories and go sightseeing.

That hardly seems like a target market for tourism, but military reunions are a big business - and a growing business for Rapid City's visitor industry as veterans from World War II, Korea and other eras gather here.

"This is our niche that we've found, and it's expanding rapidly," said Lisa Storms, sales manager for the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau. "We haven't even scratched the surface."

Groups this year have included members of the 25th Bomb Group and sailors from the USS Bears. Next year, the city will host the Berlin Airlift Veterans Association and the Veterans of Underage Military Service.

The Veterans of Underage Military Service, which will meet here in April, is a 1,300-member organization made entirely of soldiers who bluffed their way into the military before they were old enough to legally join.

"Some of these guys were in the service as early as 12 years (old), and some were in combat at 13," John Rutledge of Moline, Ill., one of the reunion organizers, said. Most members joined the military between ages 15 and 16. (See related story.)

At recent gatherings, between 150 and 200 members have attended, he said, and the Rapid City reunion could attract about the same number.

Military reunions aren't giant, hotel-filling events. The groups can be as small as 50 people or as large as 500. In 2005, the USS Iowa reunion brought 525 people to Rapid City - the largest such gathering to date.

This year, Rapid City hosted 15 military reunions with nearly 1,100 people attending, according to the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau. So far for next year, 11 reunions are scheduled, bringing more than 1,400 people to the city.

And there are more reunion groups out there looking for new gathering places.

The reunion business has become so big, in fact, there is even a Florida-based company that specializes in helping organizers put events together. It's called The Reunion Network.

Network president Paul Spiewak said the Rapid City visitors bureau's push to bring in more military reunions is a good strategic move. There are about 30 million military veterans in the United States. As they reach retirement age, more of them want to get together.

"We started this business in 1991. At the time, we had about 600 (reunion) planners, all from World War II," he said. "We now work with 14,000 planners. It's surprising, but it's growing every day."

Korean veterans are a big part of the reunion business. Soldiers from the Cold War era are reuniting as well. Vietnam veterans, however, have not shown a lot of interest - yet.

Spiewak said a handful of factors tend to bring veterans to reunions. They have a sense of camaraderie with other soldiers. He calls it the "Brothers in Arms" effect. There is also the empty-nest syndrome; families are grown and children moved away. And leisure time: After retirement, they have the time and disposable income to attend.

The camaraderie, he said, is extremely important to veterans. "You meet somebody who grew up in the same era, same experiences. The fact that you served together creates a bond," he said.

And they don't even have to be from the same war. Spiewak said he saw a Vietnam prisoner of war talking to a World War II prisoner of war at a gathering. "They became instant friends. They shared this horrible experience. … Age didn't make a difference," he said.

The popularity of individual meeting sites has fluctuated over the years. Places such as Norfolk, Va., San Diego, San Antonio and Las Vegas still attract groups. But new sites are doing a good job of capturing the growth of military reunions.

The best example, Spiewak said, is Branson, Mo. Today, it is by far the nation's most popular reunion destination. "It wasn't always that way," he said.

In the past, Branson was viewed as Bible Belt family destination. Old soldiers do like to drink beer, he said. Several years ago, Branson made an all-out effort to attract military groups. Now, it's the top destination.

The Reunion Network has a magazine and a Web site. It sets up seminars for reunion organizers. The seminars provide information about booking hotels, arranging transportation, organizing banquets and organizing activities.

In addition, the network sets up eight to 10 "confams" a year to let planners meet face-to-face with possible event venues. Lisa Storms of the Rapid City convention bureau attends at least two of these events a year.

In October 2008, Rapid City will host a confam of The Reunion Network. Storms hopes as many as 35 reunion planners and 45 exhibitors will attend. The event will give Rapid City a chance to show off its facilities to reunion planners, she said.

Why Rapid City?

Military reunions and Rapid City are a good fit, said Lisa Storms, sales manager for the Rapid City Convention & Visitors Bureau, who began working the reunion market three years ago.

The city has more than enough hotel capacity for groups this size, especially in the "shoulder" seasons, when soldiers - many retired - like to hold reunions.

Rapid City is also centrally located. No one has to travel too far, although airfares are higher here than in other convention cities such as Las Vegas. Rooms and transportation are cheaper here than in Washington, D.C., another popular reunion destination.

And despite its landlocked location, Rapid City has had a lot of luck attracting groups who served in the U.S. Navy. "The Navy groups like the idea of an inland reunion," Storms said. "They've been on ships; they'd like to see what else is out there," she said.

Some of the other features that help land military groups:

* Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a big draw. Veterans tend to be patriotic and interested in history. Reunion groups are invited to participate in the evening lighting ceremony during the summer. In addition, Xanterra Parks & Resorts caters dinners at the Mount Rushmore dining hall.

* Ellsworth Air Force Base is a willing participant in military reunions. Storms said the Air Force public affairs staff at Ellsworth is always willing to accommodate the vets with tours, lunches and visits.

* The South Dakota Air & Space Museum, next to Ellsworth, is a point of interest for the veterans. She said the Berlin Airlift Veterans Association chose Rapid City in part because the museum has a C-24 transport plane that is similar to the aircraft they flew in 1948 and 1949.

* Black Hills National Cemetery hosts ceremonial events that give veterans a chance to honor their comrades who have died.

Contact Dan Daly at 394-8421 or dan.daly@rapidcityjournal.com