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 American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces
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Overview

American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces (SAF) provides an important link between service members and their families.  Emergency messages are relayed from home to remote locations around the world.  Messages may contain information on birth announcements, serious illnesses or injuries, or death.  These messages also provide verification to commanding officers, in case emergency leave is required. 

Other forms of support can be offered through ties that the Red Cross has with other community organizations.  This support can consist of assistance for financial emergencies, health, or other supportive services. Your local chapter responds to an average of 13 calls per month.

Some of these American Red Cross paid emergency services to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families include:

Making our Red Cross around-the-clock around-the-world emergency communications network available to the men and women of the Armed Forces and their families during times of personal emergencies. This service operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year, and transmits or receives over 800,000 messages a year - at no cost to service personnel or their families.

Providing military members and their families access to aid society interest-free loans and grants, if needed, when urgent personal crises arise, such as a death in the family.

Providing information verification to assist service members in obtaining leave time during family crises.

Aiding veterans with access to financial assistance from appropriate military aid society.

Providing veterans appropriate information and referral resources for military or civilian benefits.

Offering counseling and other social services to military families.

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To contact a service member regarding an emergency contact the American Red Cross - Services to Armed Forces at 1-866-563-1376. Be ready to give the following information about the service member:

Name:

Social Security Number:

Date of Birth:

Branch of Service:

Rank:

Military Unit:

Complete Military Address:

Service Member's Telephone Numbers:

 

 

 
 American Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces Statistics
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The Services to the Armed Forces (SAF) of the American Red Cross acts as a link between the people of the United States of America and their Armed Forces. SAF responds to emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This has been an effective link between American families and their spouses and children serving in the armed forces during peacetime, disasters or military conflicts. The Red Cross has responded to emergency needs of families during World War I, World War II, the conflicts in Korea, Vietnam, the Persian Gulf War, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia and Kosovo, Afghanistan and Iraq. Over the years, Red Cross services have evolved to reflect changing clients and their needs.

 

SAF is a service provided for the U.S. Armed Forces. This definition includes:

 

  • Members of the National Guard
  • Reservists
  • Recruiters
  • Reserve Officers Training Corps
  • U.S. Coast Guard
  • Personnel assigned to Military Entrance Processing Stations (MEPs)
  • Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service
  • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
  • Military retirees
  • Veterans
  • Department of Defense civilians and contracted personnel overseas
  • Merchant Marine personnel assigned to the Department of Defense
  • Families of all the above

 

Some Facts About SAF Services:

• 77% of cases are initiated by a family member of the service member. 67% of those cases are requested by a member of the service member’s immediate family (husband, wife, father, mother, daughter, son, sister, or brother).

• 70% of the cases are originated at chapters located in civilian communities. Not all communities include a military installation to serve the emergency needs of the families.

• 15% of the cases are initiated by the service member.

• 5% of the cases are initiated by a military authority from the service member’s unit.

• 42% of all cases are service members of ranks from E–1 to E–4.

• 75% of access to financial assistance cases is provided in association with another type of Red Cross SAF services.

• 32% of the second services provided to the same individual are a consequence of a death communication.

• Travel assistance is the main reason for financial assistance followed by the money needed to cover family or personal support, including rent expenditures.

 

 
Orange County American Red Cross * 101 Ephesus Church Rd * Chapel Hill, NC 27517 - (919) 942-4862 x 221 - Fax: (919) 942-0761

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