American Red Cross Mobilizing Support for Military Families

Active Duty and Civilian-Based Personnel, Though Deployed, will Stay in Touch with Home

WASHINGTON, September 22 — – American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) is marshalling resources at more than 100 installations nationwide and around the world to assist members of the U.S. military and their families as troops ready their response to the September 11 terrorist attacks on America. Serving active duty military personnel and their families for more than a century, the Red Cross recently enhanced its reach to the community-based military – the National Guard and Reserves.

In the months ahead, active duty military, Guardsmen and Reservists will be separated from their families. "Every day, Red Cross AFES carries the sad news of a death – or the joyful news of a birth – to servicemen and women world wide, and we often arrange emergency travel, enabling military families to be together," said Sue Richter, vice president, AFES." "The long separations and stressful situations that occur when a service member is stationed abroad often places a places a serious emotional strain on families," she continued. "The Red Cross keeps military personnel and their families close through services including confidential counseling as well as neutral, impartial assistance when and where needed, particularly during times of crisis at home," she added.

Through its network of more than 1,000 chapters nationwide and 20,000 employees and volunteers working in offices on military installations across the world, the Red Cross provides emergency services around-the-clock and around the globe. Every day, hundreds of U.S. service men and women turn to the Red Cross for worldwide emergency communication with families, confidential counseling, access to financial assistance for military families in crisis, family support and veterans assistance.

With the American Red Cross by their side, members of the U.S. Armed Forces are never alone. Whether deployed with the military, stationed at installations or working at Red Cross facilities, AFES employees and volunteers help service men and women in crisis. On average AFES touches the lives of more than 15,000 families each month.

In 2000, AFES transmitted 53,472 e-mail messages and received 52,696 replies for both military and civilian personnel working around the globe for the Department of Defense. Combining the "high touch" for which they have long been recognized with today's "high tech" systems and equipment, Red Cross employees and volunteers are bridging the communication gap between the Armed Forces and their families back home, every day and around the world.

Families, of active duty, National Guard and reserve members, in need of assistance should contact their local American Red Cross chapter.

The American Red Cross is dedicated to saving lives, easing suffering and restoring hope at home and around the world. Currently operating on a budget of $2.7 billion, the Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 67,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. In 2000, the Red Cross also trained almost 12 million people in vital lifesaving skills, provided direct health services to nearly 2.6 million people and delivered more than 21 million locally relevant community services. The organization also assisted international disaster and conflict victims in close to 40 locations around the globe, and its emergency communication centers processed 1.2 million calls in support of U.S. military families. Bernadine Healy, M.D., is president and CEO of the American Red Cross.