AFES Teams Deploy with U.S. Troops

Written by Bonnie Gillespie, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

February 5, 2003 — As thousands of U.S. troops deploy for the Persian Gulf, Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Services (AFES) staff are shipping out, too. The first contingency team descended onto Washington, D.C., recently for extensive briefings and training sessions, arriving from their regular station assignments in Japan, Korea, England, Germany and various locations throughout the United States.

AFES team members were packing up for the Persian Gulf region during recent deployment briefing and training sessions in Washington, D.C.

"In the true humanitarian spirit, almost all the team members volunteered for deployment to the Persian Gulf," said Sue Richter, Vice President of AFES for the Red Cross. "They take a touch of home to our men and women in uniform and are determined to deliver the very best service possible."

Assembled from the mobile AFES staff and the AFES Reserve Corps, the team later went through military processing in Fort Benning, Ga., before departing for their final destinations.

The primary mission of AFES workers is to relay emergency messages between service members and their families, offering a vital link for soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines with a family member in crisis. Messages frequently involve serious illnesses and deaths or news about the birth of a child.

Additionally, in military deployment situations, the Red Cross offers family members the assurance and reliability that an urgent message is received by loved ones serving in the military. Red Cross emergency messages have often resulted in a service member reaching the hospital bed of a dying relative to say a last goodbye.

In the largest AFES deployment since Desert Storm, a leadership team and five support teams have been dispatched with U.S. troops. Like military service members, the AFES staff were issued military uniforms and equipment, vaccinated against all possible contaminants and educated about all facets of the deployment setting.

"Despite all the preparation, it's so rewarding," said Maria Bell, an experienced AFES Reserve Corps Station Manager, during deployment training. "Serving is the core of what we're trained to do and the troops truly appreciate having us there."

During the training session, AFES Reserve Corps Station Manager Maria Bell received a cross necklace to wear during her deployment which was worn by her great-great-grandfather during the Civil War.

In addition to emergency messaging, AFES team members utilize a vast network of resources to assist service men and women and their families around the clock. The Red Cross collaborates with military aid societies to provide financial assistance during a family crisis, such as emergency travel expenses, burial costs or funds to meet urgent health, welfare or social needs.

"Red Cross AFES workers have been positively decribed by many troops over the years," said Richter. "One decription that I find particularly fitting is this 'you are an oasis of care and concern.'"

AFES staff members also encounter obstacles similar to those facing service members. They endure separation from family, friends and the comforts of home, experience occupational or financial strains and face the challenge of integrating into a foreign land and potentially dangerous situations. Through it all, however, AFES staff still exhibit an unyielding commitment to members of the American military.

"Our AFES team members love what they do and go willingly into what they know will be a very difficult environment and situation," said Kay Walton, Senior Director of AFES Field Operations.

Many individuals on the AFES teams are former military members and, therefore, know firsthand the vital importance of the Red Cross within military communities. Additionally, some of the staff, like U.S. Army veteran Mona Vines, had personal experiences with the Red Cross that led to their present involvement with AFES.

"Even though my mom is a Red Cross nurse, I didn't start volunteering until after my home was destroyed by a tornado and the Red Cross was there to help me," said Vines. "The volunteers looked like angels to me, and I will never forget it."

It is that same compassion that fuels AFES staff and volunteers in their daily dedication to the members of the U.S. military community, inspiring the countless thousands of troops and families impacted by their faithful service.

"Our AFES staff and volunteers represent the true caring spirit that has always been the hallmark of the American Red Cross in supporting the members of the U.S. military and their families," said Walton. "They are our heroes."