If you are experiencing an immediate, life-threatening emergency, call 911. 

Financial assistance from military aid societies may be available to active-duty service members of the U.S. Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard, military retirees, medically retired servicemen/women and their eligible family members.

Assistance can include funds for emergency travel, burial of a loved one, emergency food and shelter, etc.

Although the Red Cross facilitates the money transfer, the military aid societies will ultimately determine the type of aid, amount and specific package details.

You may be eligible to receive emergency financial assistance from the military aid societies if you are:
 

• An active-duty service member
• A member of an activated National Guard or Reserve unit
• An immediate family member (spouse, parents, children, siblings, in loco parentis) of a service member in the above two categories
• A military retiree or spouse/widow(er) of a retiree

You are ineligible to receive emergency financial assistance if you are:
 

• A veteran (unless medically retired)
• A member of the Reserve/National Guard (unless on active-duty orders for more than 30 days)
   

Service member information

• Full legal name
• Rank/rating
• Branch of service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)
• Social Security Number or Date of Birth
• Military unit address
• Unit details (e.g. unit name, unit identification code, commanding officer name/contact, name of home base where unit is stationed)
• Case number (if your financial assistance request is related to an existing case)

Can the Red Cross provide financial assistance to members of the military community?
Through our Hero Care Network, the Red Cross connects eligible actively serving military members, retired service members and their dependents to financial assistance provided by military aid societies. Assistance can include funds for emergency travel, emergency food, shelter and more. To learn more or send a financial assistance request, visit redcross.org/saf, download the Hero Care app by texting GETHEROCARE to 90999, or call a Hero Care specialist at 877-272-7337.  

Who is eligible for military aid financial assistance?
You may be eligible if you are:

• An active-duty service member
• A member of an activated National Guard or Reserve unit
• An immediate family member (spouse, parents, children, siblings, in loco parentis) of a service member in the above two categories
• A military retiree or spouse/widow(er) of a retiree

What qualifies as an emergency or significant life event?
Emergencies may include the critical illness/injury or death of an immediate family member or other critical in nature and time-sensitive situations requiring the presence of a service member. Significant life events include occasions such as the birth of a child.

What information is needed when a service member or military family calls the Hero Care Center?
The following information is needed:

• Service member’s full legal name
• Service member’s rank/rating
• Branch of service (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard)
• Service member’s social security number or date of birth
• Military unit address
• Information about the deployed unit and home base unit (for deployed service members only)