Service to the Armed Forces

We are linking our men and women in uniform to their loved ones here at home.
Today's American Red Cross is keeping pace with the changing military. Using the latest in computer and telecommunications technology, the Red Cross sends communications on behalf of family members who are facing emergencies or other important events to members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving all over the world. These communications are delivered around-the-clock, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Emergency Communications Services

The Red Cross movement began on a battlefield. Today, that same spirit is present wherever American troops are deployed and anxious families wait at home. The American Red Cross promises to be there whenever or wherever our help is needed. At one time or another, all military personnel and their family members will probably benefit from knowing about and using Red Cross services.

American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) are available to all members of the armed services, and to their families. Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications, access to emergency financial assistance, information and referral, veterans assistance and aid in the field where Red Cross workers are deployed to serve with America's military..

How to Contact the Red Cross to Send an Emergency Message

• Please contact the South Mississippi Chapter if you need to send an emergency message. If after hours, weekends and all holidays, please call 800-696-3873 for EMERGENCY communications.
• Active duty service members stationed in the United States and their immediate family members may call the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service Centers for help 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The toll-free telephone number is available through base or installation operators and from local on-base Red Cross offices.
• Other family members who do not reside in the service members' household, members of the National Guard and Reserves, retirees and civilians may access Red Cross services through their local Red Cross chapter, which is listed in local telephone books and at http://www.redcross.org/where/where.html.
• Overseas personnel stationed on military installations should call base or installation operators or the on-base Red Cross offices.
• At overseas deployment sites, contact the American Red Cross deployed staff.

When calling the Red Cross to send an emergency message to a family member, it is helpful to have the following information:

Service member’s:

• Servicemember's full name with middle initial
• Servicemember's Social Security number and date of birth
• Branch of Service
• Current rank (Cpl, Sgt, Capt, Lt, Gen/E-3, E-9)
• Last known or current military address (unit, ship, battalion, base name, i.e. "Bravo Company, 289th Mechanized, Unit 28774, Camp Obewan, Eqypt")
• Illness: person's name, hospital, doctor; if outpatient the birthday; family must have signed Release of Information with the doctor's office
• Death: person's name, date of death, if possible funeral home handling arrangements

Information about the deployed unit and the home base unit (for deployed service members only)

If you need to send an emergency message to a member of the Armed Forces, please call 601/582-8151.