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ASSISTANCE WITH COMMUNICATIONS
BETWEEN THE SERVICE MEMBER
AND HIS OR HER FAMILY
Red Cross staff that represent military stations and chapters cooperate in offering communications assistance when the service member and his or her family have failed to communicate with each other directly or have not obtained the desired information through their correspondence. Many circumstances may prevent the use of ordinary correspondence, especially if timeliness is a factor. Red Cross assistance may take the form of guidance, advising the member or his or her family about direct communications, using Red Cross channels to transmit information, or securing reports for the service member about the location and welfare of family members. Emergency messages are given priority handling. Such messages include notice of birth, death in the family, serious illness, or critical family problems. Whenever possible, a staff member personally delivers or participates in the delivery of Red Cross messages. However, the majority of messages are relayed to the command for delivery to the service member. In these instances, the service member is asked to contact a Red Cross worker to confirm message delivery. When a service member is hospitalized and the illness or injury makes it impossible for him or her to write letters, the Red Cross may assist with corresponding to family members. When the service member’s illness or injury is considered serious, the military medical authorities are responsible for notifying the family and providing progress reports. When a hospitalized service member is seriously ill and Invitational Travel Orders (ITOs) are issued for his or her next-of-kin, the Red Cross can provide emergency communications services that furnish, for example, information on local hotels and transportation. The Red Cross does not make character investigations for any purpose. Accordingly, Red Cross workers do not confirm or verify the service member’s delinquency, immoral conduct, or other deviations from accepted behavior before or during his or her military service. The Red Cross does not make such investigations and reports about the dependents of service members.
ACCESS TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
Financial assistance is available on the basis of need to active duty members in the U.S. armed forces and to their families for emergency travel and other specific emergency circumstances on a 24-hour basis. The funds are provided by Army Emergency Relief, the Air Force Aid Society, Coast Guard Mutual Assistance and the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society. Funds provided on behalf of the four military aid societies by the Red Cross are given in the form of interest-free loans or grants. The repayment of loans is expected to be by allotment of pay and is geared to the service member’s financial ability to repay. In some instances, the military aid societies may provide a combination of loans and grants. The Red Cross works in partnership with the four military aid societies to provide financial assistance for service members, their spouses and children, and other family members recognized by the military for the following purposes:
1. Emergency travel. Financial assistance for essential travel may be provided for roundtrip transportation, meals, and lodging en route, and, if necessary, maintenance at the leave destination. Other relevant emergency travel needs may be met as well, such as emergency medical necessities or car repairs to permit travel between the installation and the leave destination.
2. Burial expenses. Interment costs for relatives other than military-recognized family members will also be considered by the appropriate military aid society.
3. To avoid privation. When other funds are not readily available to meet an immediate and compelling emergency, financial assistance may be offered. In addition, assistance may be provided when a delay in meeting an emergency need, such as food or shelter, would adversely affect the health or welfare of the service member or the family.
4. Basic maintenance. Financial assistance may be offered when payments due are delayed or interrupted, or to meet the service member or family’s needs pending receipt of pay or a support allotment. In most instances, Red Cross workers will communicate directly with the person in need to obtain a fuller understanding of the family financial situation and to determine what action may be necessary to resolve the pay or allotment problem. Assistance for basic maintenance includes such essentials as food, housing, fuel, and utilities. Members of Reserve or National Guard units, when activated for more than 30 days, are eligible for financial assistance. The Red Cross also accepts applications from military retirees or their survivors for military aid societies, and advances funds on behalf of the societies when authorized to do so. Red Cross resources are available to the aid societies on a 24-hour basis to assist them in processing the applications.
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