Taking care of its own: AER cares for Army

The Army Emergency Relief Program is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to Soldiers – both active-duty and retired – and their families. This year AER celebrates its 76th anniversary; the program began Feb. 5, 1942.

This past year, 2017, AER provided financial assistance to more than 43,000 service members with a total value of $69.7 million.

One out of fifteen service members received financial assistance from AER last year. AER loans are interest-free, and 10 percent of the assistance provided in 2017 was in the form of grants, meaning the money does not have to be repaid.

AER financial assistance categories include unexpected expenses like emergency travel, funeral expenses, medical emergencies, vehicle repairs, rent and mortgage.

Army Emergency Relief also provided $8 million dollars in education scholarships last year.

Since its inception, AER provided assistance to 3.7 million members of the Army team totaling more than $1.8 billion.

About a billion dollars of the total assistance provided has been since 9/11.

On average, AER annually provides more than $61 million in financial help to over 40,000 Soldiers and their families. AER’s motto is “Soldiers Helping Soldiers” and its focus is “Helping the Army Take Care of its own.”

As this year’s AER campaign draws to a close, it is important to remember more than 180,000 Soldiers are currently deployed to more than 140 countries – and Soldiers and their families face a complex financial environment. AER should be a Soldier’s first choice for financial help.

To request financial assistance, Soldiers can go to Army Emergency Relief’s new office at Building 600’s first floor, RM A-128.

Applications are available and loan processing occurs between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A national agreement through the American Red Cross can provide AER loans after normal business hours and holidays for emergency travel by calling (877) 272- 7337. For other information or assistance, call the AER office at 384-7478.