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Army
Army Emergency Relief (AER)
2140 Liggett Ave.
Waller Hall
Room 400
Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA 98433-9500
253-967-9852
Contact information for key programs and services at this installation.
If you need emergency assistance, you can expect to get help from your installation, your branch of service resources. There are programs to support you in a variety of situations, including victim assistance, emergencies en route and service-specific relief societies. Below, you’ll find types of assistance, contact information, and detailed procedures and guidance to help you through any tough circumstances that you or your family may face.
For immediate emergency assistance, please call 911. For non-emergency assistance, please call the 24/7 Domestic Violence SAFELINE at 253-966-7233.
Air Force Aid Society
The Air Force Aid Society is the official charity of the United States Air Force. The society supports the Air Force mission by providing worldwide emergency financial assistance to airmen and their eligible family members.
The Society provides interest free loans and grants to active duty Air Force members and their dependent family members, retired Air Force members, Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve personnel.
Air Force Aid Society helps with things like basic living expenses (rent, utilities or food), emergency leave transportation, car repair, medical/dental expenses, funeral expenses and special situations and/or unique needs.
Apply for assistance at: https://afas.org/emergencyassistance/ Once your application is submitted, you will be prompted to call a Headquarters Air Force Aid Society case manager at 703-972-2604.
Note: for emergency travel only, call the American Red Cross at 877-272-7334 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The application process is 100% virtual via the Air Force Aid Society website; however, you can still receive guidance from our local staff members. Feel free to stop by our office at Building 100, Suite 1091 on McChord Field or call us at 253-982-7027/2726 during our duty hours: Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Educational Assistance
The General Henry H Arnold Education Grant Program provides need-based education grants to eligible spouses of active duty and deceased Air Force members and dependent children of active, retired and deceased members.
The Bee Arnold Spouse Tuition Program offers grants for up to $2,500 for entry-level job training and part-time undergraduate degrees at accredited 2-4 year colleges, universities or vocational/trade schools approved by the U.S. Department of Education for participation in federal aid programs.
Community Program
The Society also offers a Bundles for Babies Class that covers health and nutrition, pediatric dental, CDC enrollment, etc. Attendees receive $50 towards a purchase of a baby item, a baby quilt, plus a few other surprises. There are a few eligibility requirements. To sign up and/or check your eligibility, please call 253-982-7027 or email diana.burr@us.af.mil.
For more information on Air Force Aid Society programs and assistance, please visit https://afas.org or call our local staff members at 253-982-7027/2726.
The American Red Cross at Joint Base Lewis-McChord helps members of the military, veterans and their families prepare for, cope with, and respond to the challenges of military service. Our services include a global emergency communication network, resiliency programs, support to military and veteran’s medical facilities, and volunteer opportunities.
Emergency Messages
When family emergencies occur, such as the death or illness of an immediate family member, the American Red Cross assists 24 hours a day, 365 days a year through our global communication network. No matter where a service member or their family is stationed, they can rest assured that the Red Cross will deliver their message in times of crisis. The Red Cross sends a verified report of the emergency to the military member's commander. This assists the commander in making a decision to grant emergency leave.
In an effort to meet the needs of today's service members and their families, the Red Cross provides three ways to access assistance:
For faster service, be prepared to give the agent the service member's full legal name, rank, branch of service, date of birth or Social Security number, military unit name, phone number and address. You will also need to provide contact information about the authority that can verify the emergency (example: doctor, nurse, police, funeral home director, coroner, social worker) and details about the emergency to include what happened and when, who was involved, and who can provide consent to service the message.
Resiliency Programs
The Red Cross offers resiliency programs to members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their families through three impactful programs: Coping with Deployments, Reconnection Workshops and Mind-Body Workshops. The programs are similar in their mission to teach effective resiliency skills as preventative tools for the challenges and stresses of military life. All resiliency programs are available free of charge, confidential and led by licensed mental health professionals with additional Red Cross training.
Support to Military and Veteran's Medical Facilities
Military duty can have physical and psychological impacts on a service member. Every day, Red Cross volunteers provide support in Veterans Affairs and military medical facilities in the area. These volunteers provide comfort and peace of mind to veteran and military families who are recovering from illness and injury.
Contact information
Please contact the JBLM Red Cross with any questions, or to find out about our volunteer opportunities. You can reach us by phone at 253-966-3889, email at jblm@redcross.org, or stop by our office at 4201 West Way (near the fire station and exit 119 on Lewis Main). We are open Monday through Thursday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closed Friday.
Army Emergency Relief is a private, non-profit organization incorporated in 1942 by the Secretary of War and Army Chief of Staff. AER's mission is to provide emergency financial assistance to soldiers, both active and retired, their family members, and the survivors (spouses and orphans) of deceased soldiers (both active and retired) during valid emergencies that require immediate attention. Assistance is provided as an interest-free loan, grant or a combination loan and grant. Any emergency must have originated from other than the soldier’s own actions (i.e., AWOL, Article 15 or civilian fines).
AER Appointments
•Walk-ins (emergency travel & intakes): Walk-ins are available for emergency travel (Red Cross messages death or illness), privation due to natural disasters, and intake requesting assistance.
•By appointment (returns): Returns are conducted by appointment. To make a return appointment go to: https://jblmfrp.timetap.com.
•American Red Cross - If you experience a financial emergency that cannot wait until normal duty hours, or you are outside of a 50-mile radius of an aid society, please contact the American Red Cross Emergency Services Center toll-free at 877-272-7337.
AER Eligibility and Assistance
Who does AER help?
•Soldiers on active duty (single or married) and their eligible dependents
•Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers activated on Title 10 orders for more than 30 days and their eligible dependents
•Soldiers retired for longevity, medical or upon reaching age 60 (reserve component) and their eligible dependents
•Surviving spouses who have not remarried and children of soldiers who died on active duty or died after reaching retirement eligibility. Survivors can contact JBLM Survivor Outreach Services at 253-967-3672 or 253-966-5047 for assistance.
What type of assistance does AER provide?
•An interest-free loan or a grant
•A combination of a loan and grant (determined by the AER officer on a case-by-case basis)
How long does it take to get AER assistance?
Varies depending on the nature of the request.
What can AER assist with?
AER can help with emergency financial needs for:
•Food, rent or utilities
•Essential personally owned vehicle repairs for safe operation
•Emergency travel
•Funeral expenses for a parent of the soldier or spouse
•Emergency medical/dental expenses
•Emergency needs when pay is delayed or funds stolen (LES and/or police report required)
What can AER not assist with?
•Ordinary leave or vacations
•Fines, divorce or legal fees, bail and/or taxes
•Liquidating or consolidating debt
•Purchasing a home or home improvements
•Purchasing or leasing a vehicle
•Cover bad checks or pay credit card bills (including the government travel card)
•Purchase of items for convenience or luxury
AER Educational Scholarships:
Spouses and children of active and retired Soldiers are eligible for educational scholarship programs.
Applications and instructions for applying for AER scholarships can be found on the AER website at www.aerhq.org.
What documents should I bring with me to request AER assistance?
•Military ID
•Most recent end-of-month and mid-month (if available on myPay) leave and earnings statement(s) or Electronic Retirement Account Statement
•Civilian pay statements/other sources of income (if applicable)
•Emergency Leave form (DA Form 31) or PCS orders
•Substantiating documents related to the assistance you are requesting
Joint Base Lewis-McChord has both Army Emergency Relief and Air Force Aid Society assistance available if you experience a financial emergency.
Please see the information listed below for each emergency aid society:
If an unforeseen emergency occurs while traveling to Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the American Red Cross is available 24/7 by calling 877-272-7337.
Additional Contact Information for Emergencies:
Army:
Installation Reception Center Staff Duty Desk: 253-967-7004
Community Information Services (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursdays 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.): 253-967-7166
Air Force:
Contact your squadron's Command Support Staff.
Air Force Community Information Services (Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.): 253-982-2695