Emergency Assistance

The U.S. Army Garrison - Detroit Arsenal Army Community Service can be reached at 586-282-0489 for assistance with Army Emergency Relief applications. There is no AER officer on base. All AER applications are processed through the AER website or call at 866-878-6378. For weekend assistance please contact the American Red Cross call center at 877-272-7337 then press 3.

If you have an after hours emergency and need financial assistance from one of the relief societies on holidays, weekends and after normal duty hours, you may contact the American Red Cross After Hours Hotline at 877-272-7337 for help. The American Red Cross was founded to aid fallen soldiers on the battlefield prior to adding emergency relief services. Today, this effort continues through Red Cross services for military families.

In times of emergencies, the Southeastern Michigan Chapter of the American Red Cross keeps tri-county residents in touch with loved ones serving in the United States military. For assistance in reaching a loved one in the U.S military, call the Armed Forces Emergency Section at 313 833-8816 toll-free at 888-317-0860. Red Cross volunteers and paid staff are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and 365 days a year.

United States Army Garrison, Detroit Arsenal Army Community Service can be reached at 586-282-0489 for assistance with the Army Emergency Relief application submission via the AER website. Emergency financial assistance is available for active-duty and retired Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force personnel, widows/widowers and their dependent family members. Reservists on active-duty orders greater than 30 days may also be eligible for financial assistance. Assistance is provided through Army Emergency Relief, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, Air & Space Forces Aid Society and the Coast Guard Mutual Assistance Fund. Coast Guard personnel receive assistance through their individual unit/commander. Aid society family member scholarship information is also available.

Eligibility

• Active-duty service members, single or married, and their dependents
• Reserve and guard service members and dependents on continuous active duty for more than 30 days
• Surviving spouses or orphans of soldiers who died while on active duty or after they have retired

For emergency financial assistance, contact:

• Army Community Service by phone at 586-282-0489 or their office located at 6501 E.11 Mile Rd., Building 230, Room 1H055, Warren MI, 48397 for referrals to local food banks and emergency resources in the area.
• The Southeastern Michigan American Red Cross Office is located at 100 Mack Ave., Detroit, MI 48201 or can be called at 877-272-7337.

Army Emergency Relief also provides undergraduate-level education scholarships to dependent children and spouses.

Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force personnel and their families can also obtain scholarship information through their various relief societies:

• Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
• Air & Space Forces Aid Society

No matter how well you have planned your move, emergencies do happen.

Delayed Arrival

If you encounter an emergency that will prevent you from being on time for signing-in, call your gaining unit. Be sure to keep the name of person or persons you talked with as well as the time of such conversation.