How to contact a Sailor in an Emergency!

[Hoppi aka Angie]

Please take a few minutes to review this info and post it some where you or a loved one can find if ever needed.


Emergency Communications Services

When a military family experiences a crisis, the American Red Cross is there to help. Twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year, the Red Cross relays urgent messages containing accurate, factual, complete and verified descriptions of the emergency to service members stationed anywhere in the world, including on ships at sea and at embassies and remote locations.

Red Cross emergency communications services keep military personnel in touch with their families following the death or serious illness of an immediate family member, the birth of a service member's child or grandchild or when a family faces other emergencies.

Where ever their military service takes them, he or she knows that the Red Cross will deliver notification in times of an emergency at home. Even if the service member receives an e-mail or phone call from home, Red Cross-verified information assists commanding officers with making a decision regarding emergency leave. Without this verification, the service member may not be able to come home during a family crisis.

How to Contact the Red Cross for Assistance

Call [phone] (toll-free) if you are an Active duty service member stationed in the United States, or a family member residing with them.

Contact your local Red Cross chapter, which is listed in local telephone directory and at Your Local Red Cross,if you are:

o Family members of active duty service members who do not reside in the service members' household,

o Family members of Department of Defense Civilians assigned overseas

o members of the National Guard and Reserves,

o recruiters, MEPS military personnel

o veterans and

o civilians ,.

Call overseas base or installation operators or the Red Cross office at your location if you are:

o Active-duty service members and family members residing with them or

o Department of Defense civilians stationed overseas and family members residing with them. .

When calling the Red Cross, please provide as much of the following information about the service member as is known:

Full name
Rank/rating
Branch of service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)
Social Security Account number or date of birth
Military address
Information about the deployed unit and home base unit (for deployed service members only)

AMCROSS

[Mary, Proud Mom of Nick]

It is a great post and I wish we could keep this info posted permanently on the main page so when a family is in true need and maybe feeling panic-ed that have a place to go to - to find this information easily.

[Navy for Moms Admin]

Ladies -

This is unnecessary. As we all realize - it's difficult to understand someone's tone online. In your attempt to discuss the importance of being supportive, you've managed to do the opposite, and therefore I'm deleting this portion of the thread as it distracts from the purpose of this discussion.

Elle

[Debby]

Just to add.. Last month we had a death in the family... my oldest who is in Iraq opted not to come home... his feeling were and I agreed that there was nothing he could do and our loved one would have felt what he was doing there was more important.. my son stationed at Ft. Drum was at NTC preparing for his deployment and I contacted the Red Cross they were awesome.. I was fortunate enough to have all the info they needed.. they called me a few times to update me on where they were in the process ... it was a pleasure dealing with them and they got my son home in time for the funeral.

Debby

[Carol]

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say how sorry I am about your father's passing., and it's so good that your daughter will be able to be there for you.

My 18 year old step-son died Christmas week, and through the Red Cross our son was home from Japan in a couple of days to be here to support us in so many ways. The Red Cross is amazing.

[Martha and Alan (J's parents)]

Thanks, I put the number and address in my phone so I will always have it with me. Thank you for thinking of us ahead of time. Martha

[Lauritz]

Who do you get a hold to let your sons/daughters command know about a death that is not immediate family, but son/daughter were as close if not closer than a brother/sister. With computers now a days so much information from home is sent to son/daughter overseas and I know if my son would have seen/received this information he would freaked. This happened this last week to our family thank the Lord my son happened to call home before he received any information via email or a website. He has taken this very hard as it was his best friend and he has known him since he was 8 years old. We had no way of letting him know as the Red Cross only will notify for immediate family, we did not want him to come home just wanted to make sure that he would have support. He does not even have a chaplain were he is at. Sometimes commands need to know what has happened.

Have a son in Afghanistan and I do not have most of the information that is required.

I was very lucky that the ombudsman for mu other son was so willing to help out.

[Sue]

The Red Cross working through the military will make small loans available to the military too in hardship situations. My nephew got one several years ago to be able to get home when his father died. The Red Cross takes the financial info and forwards to one of several military connections and many times the loan is approved within 24 hours. My nephew got the $500 for the flight and the loan was repaid out of his pay.

[Lea]

Thanks for this info. I knew it, but also am glad to be reminded as we may need it soon. Thanks!

[Donna]

When my son first went into the Navy almost 2 yrs ago..right after he graduated I got a letter from the Red Cross with all of this info on it.. very useful.. hope I never need to use it though

[Lori]

Thank You Hoppi..We had an emergency while my son was at C school, so fortunately we were able to contact him...but if anything ever happened while he was away, I would not have known what to do....This is extremely helpful and very much appreciated.

[Sandy C ( Ryan's mom )]

Hoppi thank you so much for the information.

[Jean]

Being the wife of a retired AF E-8 I was always told the same about the RC. Anyhow in Jan. of '67 my husband was at Takhli, Thailand and i had surgery. He know that and so the night after i called the RC to have them send a message that I was ok and that everything was good. After giving them his address they said it was not listed and where was he. After telling them the lady said" we don't have troops in Thailand." I told her we have one for sure. I ended up going through the MARS station at Luke AFB to get the message to him. About a month later we heard on the evening

news that the US had 65,000 troops in Thailand. I said to the TV, I could have told you that..

Jean