Find Your Military School
 

  

Air Force Aid Society

The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is the official charity of the United States Air Force. Founded in 1942, AFAS is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help relieve financial distress of Air Force members and their families and to assist them in financing their higher education goals.

The roots of the Society go back to 1942 in response to General Henry "Hap" Arnold's concern that members of his Army Air forces faced unique hardships in meeting the challenges of World War II. He wanted a national organization that would provide emergency assistance to the wives and children of war victims and assure the availability of educational assistance to those families.

The AFAS is private and nonprofit However, the Society exists only to help Air Force personnel, so naturally there are close ties to the official Air Force. The AFAS has always relied on individual donations to fund its activities.

However, only about 25% of emergency assistance needs are funded by donations. The rest of the money comes from investment fund income and paybacks on existing loans. But, all donations do go directly to emergency assistance programs. The investment fund income provides extra funds to supplement emergency assistance programs and pay operating costs.

Last year, over 18,000 Air Force members and their families were helped with almost $11 million in emergency assistance. Of that amount, nearly 16% was in grants and the rest was in the form of interest-free loans.

Active duty and retired Air Force members and their dependents are eligible for AFAS assistance, as are the dependents of deceased Air Force personnel who died on active duty or in retired status. Reservists serving on extended active duty over 30 days are eligible as well, but assistance is limited to emergencies incident to or resulting from the applicant's active duty tour.

AFAS Sections are located at bases throughout the world. Most are located in Family Support Centers, with a few in the Military Personnel Flight. In all cases, the local AFAS Officer is familiar with the conditions and people so personal attention can be given to every request for assistance.

AFAS maintains a cross-servicing agreement with emergency relief organizations of the Army and Navy so Air Force people can request help through those offices when no AF facility is relatively close to the member/family. Local Red Cross offices will also provide assistance when there is no military base or post nearby.

Most AFAS interest-free loans and grants are for short term or one-time emergencies such as:

  • Food, rent and utilities
  • Car repair
  • Emergency travel requirements

Each case, regardless of the request, is treated individually, and the Society will review all requests for assistance and try to help if the local commander recommends help and if the assistance falls within the general thrust of the AFAS charter.

 

The Society is always examining ways to be more responsive to the Air Force community. One program the Society started a few years ago is the Funeral Grant program. Under this program, active duty Air Force members may receive up to $2,500 as a grant to help pay for the cost of burying a dependent.

The Society also offers several education programs which help offset some expenses of higher education. First, the Education Grant Program provides $1,000 grants to dependent children and spouses of active duty members (stationed stateside only). These grants may be used toward payment of tuition, books and fees, or other direct education expenses. The program is competitive in nature and students must demonstrate financial need to be eligible. Second, the Spouse Tuition Assistance Program (STAP) provides tuition supplements to dependent spouses of active duty airmen and officers at all overseas locations where employment opportunities are limited.

This program emphasizes the completion of degree/certificate programs that reasonably enhance occupational opportunities. Finally, AFAS offers a stateside spouse tuition loan program and a Vo-Tech/Trade School program of tremendous value to spouses and sons/daughters of active duty families.

Armed Services YMCA

For many years, the Armed Services YMCA has been a place for service members to turn. It is a separate organization from the civilian YMCA and is dedicated to serving only military personnel.

Operating from more than 60 program locations and 24 branches and affiliates at most major military installations in the United States, a service member can benefit from a wide variety of services that range from recreational events and sports teams to family help in housing and educational programs. They take care of young service members away from home for the first time during Christmas and Thanksgiving Holidays.

The organization has been helping military members since before the Civil War, volunteers having gone to the battlefield with the U.S. military from the Civil War to the present. President Abraham Lincoln praised YMCA leaders for their benevolent undertaking for the benefit of the soldiers.

For more information contact: Armed Forces YMCA, 6225 Brandon Ave., Suite 215, Springfield, Virginia 22150-2510, ph. (703) 866-1260, fax (703) 866-9215, e-mail: asymca@asymca.org.

Army Emergency Relief

Army Emergency Relief is a private nonprofit organization founded in 1942 by the Secretary of War and the Army Chief of Staff to help soldiers and their dependents deal with financial crisis. In 1999, AER made 50,906 loans totaling $33.7 million.

Funded by contributions and fees from the repayment of loans as well as investments, Army Emergency Relief is well suited to helping soldiers deal with financial needs in critical times.

Commanders and First Sergeants have information on how to access this help for their soldiers and their dependents. Retirees and their dependents are also eligible for help.

Army Emergency Relief helps the following personnel:

  • Soldiers on extended active duty and their dependents.
  • Members of the Reserve components of the Army (Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve) on continuous active duty for more than 30 days, and their dependents.
  • Soldiers retired from active duty because of longevity or physical disability, or retired upon reaching age 60, and their dependents.
  • Widows/Widowers and orphans of soldiers who died while on active duty or after they retired.

Emergency Services helps with emergency financial needs for:

  • Food, rent or utilities
  • Emergency transportation and vehicle repair
  • Funeral expenses
  • Medical/dental expenses
  • Personal needs when pay is delayed or stolen

AER does not offer the following:

  • Help pay for nonessentials
  • Finance ordinary leave or vacation
  • Pay fines or legal expenses
  • Help liquidate or consolidate debt
  • Assist with house purchase or home improvements
  • Help purchase, rent or lease vehicle
  • Cover bad checks or pay credit card bills

Army Emergency Relief also gives undergraduate-level education scholarships, based primarily on financial need, to children of soldiers. Last year, 1,793 scholarships were given totaling $1.8 million. For more information, contact: Army Emergency Services, 200 Stovall Street Alexandria, VA 22332, Phone: 703-428-0000 Fax: 703-325-7183, E-mail: aer@aerhq.org

Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society

The purpose of the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is to provide emergency financial assistance to active duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps personnel and their families. NMCRS provides assistance with basic living expenses such as food, rent, utilities, assistance with emergency transportation, funerals, medical and dental bills, essential car repair, pay problems, and other emergency needs. Assistance is provided with loans or grants, depending on financial need.

 

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society was founded in 1904 as the result of a suggestion that the proceeds from 1903 Army-Navy football game be split and put to use to help widows and orphans of service members. The society has changed greatly since 1904. There are now over 180 offices ashore and afloat to help in time of need.

The following personnel are eligible for financial and other assistance provided by the Society:

  • Active duty and retired members of the regular Navy and Marine Corps
  • Reservists on extended active duty and certain retired reservists
  • Dependents and dependent survivors of the above members
  • Indigent mothers (65 years or older) of deceased service members who have limited resources and no family to provide for their welfare
  • Ex-spouses "20-20-20" (un-remarried former spouses) whose marriage to a service member lasted for at least 20 years while the service member was on active duty
  • Uniformed members of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

NMCRS has a full-time budget counselor to help. Three visiting nurses are available to visit new mothers, and to assist with other health problems. Our thrift shop can help you stretch your paycheck. Education loans are available for dependent spouses and children.

 

Volunteers are the backbone of NMCRS. Our volunteers are receptionists, interviewers, thrift shop workers, clerical personnel and publicity committee members. People who can knit, crochet and sew are always in demand for the layette program. Some locations have thrift stores that offer second-hand merchandise at very reasonable prices. Items available include military and civilian clothing, small appliances, household items and baby furniture. Donations of these items is welcome, too. Check with your local office for details.

 

Educational Programs

 

Educational financial assistance helps Navy and Marine Corps families pursue their academic goals. Assistance is limited to full-time undergraduate studies and vocational training. The amount of assistance provided is based on need and determined on a case-by-case basis.

Some of the programs available are:

  • Grants of up to $2,000 per academic year. Available to dependent children of Navy or Marine Corps service members who died after retirement.
  • Grants to unmarried, dependent children of Navy or Marine Corps personnel who died while on active duty.
  • Vice Admiral E.P. Travers Scholarship and Loan:
    • Travers Scholarship: Grants of up to $2,000 per academic year are available for dependent children and spouses of active duty members of the Navy or Marine Corps, as well as dependent children of retired personnel. Applicants must be enrolled or accepted as full-time undergraduate students at post-secondary institutions whose accreditation is accepted by the U.S. Department of Education, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0.
    • Travers Loan: This program provides an interest-free loan of up to $3,000 to the active duty service member for students in the same categories as the Travers Scholarships, who are undergoing undergraduate training.

Loans are to assist with college-related costs and must be repaid in full by allotment within 24 months. For more information, contact: Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, 801 N. Randolph St., Suite 1228 Arlington, VA 22203-1978

The Red Cross

U.S. military families rely on the American Red Cross to relay emergency messages between US troops and their families. Emergency communications, counseling and emergency financial assistance are just some of the assistance provided to US military families everyday by American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services.

To accomplish this, the Red Cross maintains a worldwide Emergency Communications system, anchored by 237 Red Cross stations, with 42,000 volunteers and 624 paid staff, on military installations around the world. These stations are integrated with the nearly 1,800 Red Cross chapters throughout the United States to form a network that quickly gets emergency information to military members worldwide.

To contact a service member deployed to Bosnia, Haiti, or a home military installation, call the local Red Cross office nearest you. Most military installations have a Red Cross office on base.

The Red Cross also provides assistance and information to veterans about the benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Red Cross workers will assist veterans in the preparation, development, and effort to obtain evidence to support claim for financial benefits through the Board of Veterans Appeals. Also, through the Veteran Administration Volunteer Services, Red Cross volunteers provide a number of support services to patients in Veterans Administration hospitals.

To find your nearest Red Cross chapter or office, go to: http://www.redcross.org/where/where.html.

The USO

The USO mission is to provide morale, welfare and recreation-type services to uniformed military personnel. The original intent of Congress for the USO was to represent the American people by extending a "Touch of Home" to their military members. Thus, although some USO programs/services are similar to those provided by other agencies, the hallmark of the USO has been and will continue to be how, as much as what, services are provided.

The USO is chartered by the Congress as a non-profit charitable corporation and is not a part of the United States Government. It receives no direct government funding, but is endorsed by the President of the United States and the Secretary of Defense. Each President has been the Honorary Chairman of the USO since its inception.

For more information, contact: USO World Headquarters, Washington Navy Yard, 1008 Eberle Place SE, Suite 301 Washington, DC 20374-5096.