Services to Armed Forces, formerly known as Armed Forces Emergency Services

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.

While providing services to 1.4 million active duty personnel and their families, the Red Cross also reaches out to more than 800,000 members of the National Guard and the Reserves and their families who reside in nearly every community in America.

Red Cross workers in hundreds of chapters and on military installations brief departing service members and their families regarding available support services and explain how the Red Cross may assist them during the deployment.

Both active duty and community-based military can count on the Red Cross to provide emergency communications that link them with their families back home, access to financial assistance, counseling and assistance to veterans. Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services personnel work in nearly 800 chapters in the United States, on 62 military installations around the world and with our troops in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Iraq.

Emergency Communications Services

American Red Cross communication services keep military personnel in touch with their families following the death or serious illness of a family member or other important events, such as the birth of a child. The Red Cross quickly sends these communications on behalf of the family to members of the U.S. Armed Forces serving anywhere in the world, including ships at sea, embassies and isolated military units. The information or verification in a message assists the service member's commanding officer with making a decision regarding emergency leave.

How to Contact the Red Cross to Send an Emergency Message

• 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 the local Manatee County Red Cross chapter at (941) 792 8686.
• 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:

• Full Name
• Rank/Rating
• Branch of Service
• Social Security Number
• Military Address
• Information about the deployed unit and the home base unit (for deployed service members only)

Phone: (941) 792-8686 Fax:(941)792-3680
Headquarters 2905 59th Street West Bradenton, FL 34209 Phone: (941) 792-8686 Fax:(941)792-3680 ---> Map		Mid-County Service Center 10311 Malachite Drive Bradenton, FL 34202 Phone: (941) 792-8686 Fax:(941)792-3680 ---> Map		Hardee County 401 West Orange Street Wauchula, FL 33873 Phone:(863)773-9097 Fax:(863)773-9390 ---> Map