How The Red Cross Assists Service Members, Veterans And Military Families

Written by: Rosalind SE Carney, volunteer

Did you know... 

The American Red Cross has served more than one million military families since 9/11/01. From the first day of enlistment, service members, veterans and military families can access the following services:

Information Referral

This is a confidential service that provides connections to local, state and national resources. These resources include emergency requests for food, clothing and shelter, referrals to financial, legal and mental health counseling services, and respite care for caregivers. Information referral services operate via a network of Red Cross chapters in nationwide communities and military installations. The American Red Cross Emergency Communications Center is available to help 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 1-877-272-7337 (toll-free) or contact your local Red Cross.

Deployment Services

Coping with Deployment is a free course that was specifically designed for the spouses, parents, older children, siblings and significant others of service members, as well as military members who may take the course alongside their family. This course offers guidelines for increasing resiliency and information about how to give psychological first aid to others in stressful times. Reconnection Workshops help service members who have recently returned from active duty to reintegrate successfully into the new family dynamic, and help children build emotional and coping skills. 

Veteran Services

In addition to the resource described in “Information Referral,” the Red Cross provides veterans with additional help, including assistance with preparation of benefit claims and information on veterans cemeteries and burial benefits. Within the Veterans Administration (VA) and military hospitals, Red Cross volunteers provide assistance in the areas of rehabilitation, recreation, administration and personal services.

To access these or other services to the armed forces, call 1-877-272-7337 (toll-free) or contact your local Red Cross.

Download the free Hero Care App to access vital emergency and non-emergency resources for military members, veterans and military families by texting "GETHEROCARE" to 90999.

Learn More about Services for Veterans.

Learn More About Information Referral.

Learn More About Deployment Services.

Support Our Troops Beyond Veterans Day

Written by: Rebecca Callahan, volunteer

The international Red Cross and Red Crescent network is the largest humanitarian network in the world, with a presence and activities in almost every country. Yet one aspect of the American Red Cross that generally goes unnoticed is the Service to the Armed Forces (SAF), which is odd considering that Red Cross organizations began to care for the sick and wounded in times of war. First, in Solferino, Italy, a conflict between Austria and the Franco-Sardinian alliance in 1859 led to the establishment of the International Committee of the Red Cross. Then the American Civil War inspired Clara Barton to establish the American Red Cross in 1881. And after the impact of WWI, the foundation of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

Since September 11, 2001, the American Red Cross SAF team has served more than 1 million military families and continues to provide critical services on military bases and hospitals around the world. When emergencies strike a soldier or military family, SAF Service to the Armed Forces volunteers provide global emergency communication services, mental health support and many other opportunities to help our soldiers. For active duty military members, new Hero Care Network helps loved ones reach soldiers during an emergency. For patients and families being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center or other military bases can access the Red Cross to help them identify their needs and connect them to the most appropriate resources through Information and Referral Services. Finally at the end of every year, volunteers distribute holiday cards to patients through the Holiday Mail for Heroes program.

It’s incredible to consider all of the ways the Red Cross has maintained our commitment to the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. So this Veterans Day, please consider volunteering your time or donating to support the Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces.

Honor to the Soldier

Written by: Kelly Norton, volunteer

If you were to ask someone to name a holiday in November that is a day of giving thanks, they would most likely say Thanksgiving. However, there is another holiday that also fits this description – Veteran’s Day. 

Veteran’s Day is observed in the United States on November 11th. The significance of this date is on this day in 1918 fighting officially stopped during World War I. The holiday was first known as Armistice Day, but after World War II and the Korean War, Congress officially changed the holiday to Veteran’s Day to honor all those who have served in the US Armed Forces. As of 2014, there were 21.8 million US veterans.

The American Red Cross has offered services to veterans since World War I, and these services are still an important part of the organization’s mission. These services include assisting with benefits claims and connecting veterans with community resources such as counseling services. Red Cross volunteers also assist in VA and military hospitals around the nation.

The DC area is home to many veterans as well as many places that honor veterans including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and Arlington Cemetery.

Recently, I had the chance to visit a lesser known place where one can honor veterans – the United States Soldiers’ and Airmen’s Home National Cemetery. The Cemetery is located near the Petworth neighborhood of Washington, DC. It is one of the country’s oldest national cemeteries and is the location of the graves of more than 14,000 veterans, including many who fought in the US Civil War. It is also the final resting place for 21 Medal of Honor recipients.

Close to the Cemetery are the grounds of the Armed Force Retirement Home, an independent government agency that provides residence and related services for hundreds of veterans. Also here is President’s Lincoln’s Cottage where Abraham Lincoln and his family resided for a quarter of his presidency. The Cemetery had a significant effect on President Lincoln when he lived at the Cottage as he witnessed firsthand numerous burials taking place.

The sacrifices that our country’s veterans have made are countless. We should thank our veterans every day for their service, but on Veteran’s Day especially it is important to remember and honor them all. In the words of President Lincoln: “Honor to the soldier and sailor everywhere, who bravely bears his country's cause.” 

What I think of when I think of Veterans Day

By Dana Ayers, Volunteer Contributor 

My first volunteer experience with the Red Cross was meeting service members at Walter Reed as they were taken off a bus after being evacuated out of Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom. The bus was typically full of some service members who were being kept alive by machines, some who had lost limbs, some with trauma from IED blasts, some with gunshot wounds, and some with mental trauma. Their journey began when they were injured in the theater, where they were likely rushed into combat hospitals, then flown to Germany, then flown to Andrews Air Force Base, then eventually stuck on a jostling bus trekking through DC up to the old Army hospital on Georgia Avenue.

I couldn't imagine how tired and scared they must have been by the time they got to me, or what questions were going through their minds. Like - would they have to retire from the military now? What else would they do with their life? How could they sit in a hospital while the men and women they loved as family members were still fighting in Iraq without them? How hard would life be now with their injuries?

And with all the baggage this group was carrying - the exhaustion, the fear, even the embarrassment at being stuck in bed in such a vulnerable condition - they would always politely thank me. They easily could've said "who is this stranger shoving something in my face?" but they never did. They had manners and respect so deeply ingrained that they wouldn't brush me off, not even in their conditions.

In addition to the wounded themselves, I also remember the tireless service men and women who made up the hospital staff. I remember the families who were waiting, sometimes until 1am, for their injured loved one's bus. Sadly, not all the wounded had people waiting for them though. I remember them, too.

So, this Veterans Day, if you don't personally have someone to remember, you can borrow my memories instead. Take a moment and reflect on their sacrifices. And then thank the next service member you see, even if they're too humble to act like they deserve it.

Note: If you're looking for a way to honor a veteran, service member, or their families, check out the Red Cross Holiday Mail for Heroes campaign. And if you live in the area, stop by Tysons Corner Center to sign a card in November during the month long Red Cross and NetApp Holiday Mail for Heroes table.