Planning for your PCS is critical. The more you know
the easier it will be and the better prepared you are to deal with the
unexpected. This is especially important while you and your family
are traveling across country or around the world. Emergencies can
happen even with the best of planning, and usually at the most inopportune
time. Make sure you have all your important papers/documents with you
(orders, passports, medical records, etc.). If you have an emergency contact the
Air Force Aid Society at the Family Support Center for guidance and possible
emergency financial assistance. If you have a bonafide Red Cross
verified emergency which requires you to take emergency leave, and you do not
have the financial means to do so, the Air Force Aid Society provides emergency
financial assistance to individuals and families for airfare, POV travel
expenses, etc., on a case-by-case basis.
The Air Force Aid Society can
also provide emergency financial assistance based upon need, through either
loans or, when there is a particular hardship, grants. Categories of
financial assistance include: Basic living expenses (food, shelter,
utilities), medical not covered by TRICARE, dental not covered by TRICARE Active
Duty Family Member Dental Plan (FMDP), funeral expenses, emergency
transportation, essential car repairs, pay and allotment problems, disasters and
assistance for widows, mothers and children.
The American Red Cross can
also help in times of emergency. Quick communications with home about
family emergencies is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including
verification of death or serious illness of immediate family, birth
announcements to fathers deployed overseas, and health and welfare reports
resulting from a lack of communication over a long period of
time. The American Red Cross is always available for emergency
assistance.
The Family Support Center also maintains a food
locker for emergencies.
See "Contacts/Links" for more info.