Service to the Armed Forces
American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces can be traced back to the Civil War when Clara Barton tended wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Today the Red Cross continues its service supporting 1.4 million active duty personnel and their immediate family members. The Red Cross also reaches out to the more than 1.2 million members of the National Guard/Reserves and their immediate family members who reside in nearly every community in America. In support of military families, the Red Cross:
• Handles emergency communication services. The Red Cross is a lifeline to members of the U.S. Armed Forces, sending communications all over the world on behalf of family members facing emergencies or other important events. The Red Cross provides this service quickly through a network of chapters, communication centers and staff members serving on military installations and major deployment sites worldwide. This network links military personnel any place in the world including ships at sea, embassies and isolated military units with their loved ones. The information in the message assists the command to make an informed decision regarding emergency leave.
• Reaches out to members of the National Guard/Reserves. Today’s military families—active duty, National Guard, or Reserve—are spread across the United States and throughout the world. Many live far from military installations and the support services they offer—but few are far from a Red Cross chapter. With expertise in helping families during emergencies, the Red Cross is uniquely positioned to address the unmet needs of today’s military service members and their families. Through the “Get to Know Us” Program offered at Military Entrance and Processing Stations and chapters, service members learn that they or their family can call the Red Cross day or night for help.
• Provides social services, which, in partnership with the military aid societies, include facilitating access to financial assistance for food, temporary housing, emergency travel and medical care. The Red Cross also provides compassionate counseling and family support. In addition, when needed, we can assist in representation at the Board of Veterans Appeals.
• Deploys staff members overseas along with service members to handle emergency communication messages. Red Cross volunteers and employees offer respite from harsh conditions and bring a little bit of home to the troops by operating a 24-hour canteen service with coffee, cold drinks, snacks, games, videos and books. Red Cross teams also visit patients in clinics and hospitals.
• Conducts family support groups at participating Red Cross chapters and offices on military installations. Here family members can be with others who are also learning to cope with separation and about community resources that can help them.
• Place registered volunteers to assist in 145 VA medical facilities across the nation.
Access Assistance
• Active duty service members stationed in the United States and their immediate family members may call the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces Centers for help 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The toll-free telephone number is 877-272-7337. Overseas personnel stationed on military installations should call base or installation operators or the on-base Red Cross offices.
• Other family members who do not reside in the service members’ household, members of the National Guard and Reserves, retirees and civilians living in Burke County may access Red Cross services by calling 828-438-8844.
It is helpful to have the following information ready to give to the caseworker:
Service member’s:
Full name
Rank/rating
Branch of service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)
Social Security number or date of birth
Military address
Information about the deployed units and home base unit (for deployed service members only)
Support Troops
www.LetsSayThanks.com
This holiday season and throughout the year, you can send your thoughts of appreciate to U.S. soldiers through http://www.letssaythanks.com. This website, sponsored by Xerox Corporation, allows people accross our country to write a personalized message on colorful postcards that have been drawn by kids. The poscards are printed and mailed to deployed forces in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere by http://www.Give2theTroops.org.
A Rose of Thanks
Send a Thank You card to U.S. Armed Service member in the Gulf Region, to show them they are loved, missed, and appreciated for defending the U.S. and us. Cards are available for free and distributed by http://www.aroseofthanks.com.
AnySoldier.com
Want to send your support to Any Soldier in harm’s way,but have no idea of what to send, who to send it to, or how to send it? AnySoldier.com provides Soldier contacts who are in harm’s way and a list what they need and want. There is a search capability so you can easily identify what units need. You can read through the names and the stories soldiers write and select the ones you wish to support. AnySoldier.com Soldiers are volunteers for this effort, they see the “ATTN: Any Soldier” line under their name on the mail you send to them and they put your letters and packages into the hands of Soldiers who don’t get much or any mail. http://www.anysoldier.com
Help Our Troops Call Home
The “Help Out Troops Call Home” Program allows for the purchase of an AT&T Prepaid Phone Card for deployed U.S. troops. The program makes it easy for deployed military members to call home and stay intouch with family and driends. hearing a familiar voice is one of the best ways to boost morale and feeling of well being for our troops. This program offers phone cards that do not expire and do not add any additional charges or connection fees. Calling cards can be purchased and sent to “any service member” who is delpoyed. To purchase a Prepard Phone Card, visit the http://www.aafes.com or call 800-527-2345. American Red Cross deployed staff distribute calling cards to service members in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan.
Gifts from the Homefront
“Gifts from the Homefront”, are gift certificates purchased by friends, families or groups which allows service members to purcahse items at PX oand BX facilities around the world. Certificates can be purchased from The Army & Air Force Exchange Service and addresssed to a specific service member. Or certificatees can be purchased and addressed to “any service member” and sent to the Red Cross for distribution. To purchase a gift certificate, log on to http://www.aafes.com or call 877-770-4438. The American Red Cross distributes the gift certifcates trough its Services to Armed Forces staff members who are deployed.
Operation Dear Abby
When concern about regular mail delivery prompted the U.S. military to suspend the letter-writing campaign to deployed soldiers, Dear Abby, the U.S. Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of the Navy’s LifeLines Services Network provided an online resource to allow people to send a holiday greeting or message of support to a Sailor, Marine, Soldier, Airman, or Coast Guardsman.