Carry telephone numbers for both your former and your new
Commander, Orderly Room/Duty Office, Command Post, and your sponsor. They can be
invaluable in case of emergency while in transit. It is important for
you to contact someone at your gaining unit and let them know where and how you
are. If all else fails, contact either the Andrews Command Post at 301-981-5058
or the American Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service Center at
1-877-272-7337. These are both 24 hour/7 day a week operations, and can assist
you in getting information to either your gaining or losing units in an
emergency.
Locate the nearest military installation for
help. You may be able to obtain assistance from the Air Force Aid
Officer at the Family Support Center, Navy Emergency Relief or Army Emergency
Relief. All the services have cross-service agreements to assist members during
times of emergency. Call AAA if you are a member or ask the local
information operator for a hospital or road service, depending on the emergency.
While not endorsing or recommending any system, the new On-Star system that some
newer vehicles come equipped with can provide emergency roadside assistance and
directions to the nearest hospital in an emergency.
The American Red
Cross is available for emergency assistance anywhere you may be. Contact the
nearest chapter; phone numbers are usually listed in the white pages of the
phone directory. Most hospitals have a Red Cross office or
liaison. They can sometimes help with financial assistance and
contacting individuals that will need to know where you are and what's
happening.
Ensure that TRICARE agrees with your "emergency"
assessment and get an authorization for treatment whenever possible. For medical
care in route, if you are active duty you should use DOD facilities (any branch
of service), if possible, or the Veterans Administration Facility. If
none of the above are available, use civilian facilities. Take the
bill to your next base and process it at your gaining medical facility TRICARE
service center. Family members should try to use DOD medical facilities for
emergency medical care in-route. Civilian care will be cost-shared
under TRICARE. Emergency care will not require a non-availability statement but
non-emergency care may require one. Contact your regional TRICARE
provider to inform them of your circumstances.
The Air Force Aid officer
can give you additional information about contacts in the area such as the
Thrift Shop, SHARE, or the American Red Cross. The Family Support
Center maintains a food-assistance program for emergency situations. A referral
from the unit First Sergeant is required for assistance. If you have an
emergency while traveling, you can seek assistance from any branch of the Armed
Services or the Red Cross Armed Forces Emergency Service Center at
1-877-272-7337 while enroute.
Most large airports have an agency call
"Traveler's Aid" located in the main concourse. If you find you have an
emergency while flying, try to locate if the terminal you're in have one of
these organizations.
Contact information for each of the resources
mentioned above may be located in the "Contacts/Links" section.