By Debra R. Cox, American Red Cross Team 54 Field Member

It is extremely difficult to describe what it means to walk alongside our service members as they deploy to locations around the globe. Making a difference in a world in need of humanitarian assistance is simultaneously simple as well as complex. Mostly “walking alongside” means being there for any eventuality to support one service member at a time. This includes assisting service members in varying commands with emergency communication on remote bases and supporting military members and their families at home. Many would say that serving, whether in war or in peace, is simply “The Red Cross Way.”

More specifically, some days serving in remote locations means sitting in the DFAC (a U.S. Army cafeteria) eating a meal when a service member walks up to ask questions about an emergency communication message. It’s easy to locate us because we are not in fatigues, we are in our own American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces uniforms - a black or red polo and khaki slacks. Yes, we have our own colors we fly, so we are readily spotted, even from a distance. Everyone on base knows our primary objective is deploying ourselves to remote locations and delivering emergency communications; however, it means so much more than that. When an officer quietly walks up with a cafeteria tray in hand, sits down across from us, and begins a conversation about an event that had an immeasurable impact on that soldier, as well as their battalion, we’re there for them.

These service members are often very far from home, even during significant, milestone events and holidays, so walking alongside service members means playing an active role in creating, organizing and supporting events designed to improve morale. While we often teach some of these classes while deployed, our talented service members in the theaters at our varying locations, from Europe to the Middle East, and beyond, teach languages, varying dance styles, art, yoga, piano, guitar, cooking classes, and so much more. Our centers are usually full of activity, laughter and spirited, well-meaning ribbing of one another including leadership. We ask that all service members who walk in have no rank in our centers, as experience has taught us through the 52 preceding teams that everyone relaxes and breathes deeper when the demands of responsibility are relinquished.

This walking alongside service members in the over 100 installations around the globe where we serve involves so much more; however, most importantly, these service members come to our centers to hang out, laugh, release the tension of a long day, or month, or several months of extremely significant and demanding deployments. Sometimes those of us deployed with American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces have our own personal challenges, yet we push through, as do the service members we support. We listen to their stories and share pictures of our friends and family members back home in the continental United States. Somehow this camaraderie lightens the load for all of us.

What does “walking alongside” service members really mean? As a team consisting of 21 Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces deployers, prior to our departures from our homes, many of our family members and closest friends asked a compelling and thought-provoking question: “Aren’t you afraid of going into risky areas where there are ongoing and sometimes escalating conflicts?” Once again, simplicity and complexity: While our military members deploy to these areas, we also go. Our hearts want to serve them because they serve our country. This serving of those who serve remains an inexplicable and profoundly deep honor and privilege. Perhaps our founder, Clara Barton, who had a heart for this mission, as well as the ear of both domestic and foreign leaders, put it best: “I may be compelled to face danger, but never fear it, and while our soldiers can stand and fight, I can stand and feed and nurse them.” For Team 54, as it has been for the preceding 53 teams, we will serve those who serve.

-from the field

Debra Cox’s Service to the Armed Forces Deployment

The Red Cross provides in-person support for troops on all military installations in the U.S. and on more than 35 overseas installations including the Far East, Middle East and Europe. In addition to Debra Cox’s work serving members of the military community in Southern California, she has also deployed to Kuwait as a member of the Service to the Armed Forces team. She is serving alongside fellow Red Crossers dedicated to providing important services to military members during their time away from home. From facilitating Emergency Communication Messages to providing volunteer opportunities to service members, to offering resiliency and self-care opportunities, SAF teams deployed across the world provide members of the armed forces with important services. During her deployment, Debra is also writing about her experience in a series of stories titled From the Field.