Communications and Financial Help   

The American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces is chartered by Congress and recognized by the American military as the primary provider of emergency communications between military personnel and their families, at home and abroad, during peace and war.

When someone serving in the military from our four-county area needs to return home for a family emergency, the American Red Cross, Mid-Illinois Chapter takes care of all the details.

Note: If you have a family member serving in the military now, it is very important that you have these facts on hand:
- Full Name
- Rank
- Social Security number
- Current military address
- Duty phone number

We must have this information in order to contact their unit. Keep this information current and available so you will have it in case your family member needs to come home for a family emergency.

The Red Cross offers financial assistance and many other services to members of the Armed Services.
Visit our Armed Forces Facebook page.

Red Cross on Duty in Iran

Since deploying to Contingency Operating Base (COB) Speicher, Tikrit, Iraq in March 2009, the American Red Cross - Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) team “4:18 to Tikrit” has made some major accomplishments during the four and half months while deployed.

Some people have asked the question “why 4:18 to Tikrit?” Each time a team deploys they come together at National Headquarters in Washington, DC to attend briefings and begin Team Building to get to know each other and start to work as a team. Our original team was made up of four SAF members. We were going to be the 18th team to deploy to Tikrit. Using the movie theme “3:10 to Yuma” we agreed to name our team “4:18 to Tikrit”.

We have handled more 2,900 emergency communication messages, distributed over 9,000 lbs of Starbucks Coffee that was donated, hosted a monthly birthday event for four months (April-July), a “Pool Party for Boe” the combat stress dog of the 47th Combat Support Hospital (CSH), and supported National Nurses Week sponsored by the 47th CSH, two Health Fairs sponsored by the 325th Brigade Support Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division, and the Community Service Project (Kid’s Day for Tikrit Orphanage) hosted by the Special Troops Battalion of the 25th Infantry Division.

To add to all of the above we have manned a canteen operation to offer the military and civilian personnel serving on COB Speicher a place to get away from the daily grind. In the canteen there are TV/DVDs to watch with fresh baked bread on a couple of nights during the week and of course some fresh Starbucks Coffee to drink. Thanks to the “Sons of the American Legion” of Maine the team distributed over 1200 movies collected to Red Cross and Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) centers located throughout Iraq.

Our experiences will be memorable and hearing from service members and civilians who approach us and tell us “Thanks, for what you do” and the American Red Cross for being here for them.

4:18 to Tikrit” recognizes that we couldn’t have done this job alone and have recognized over 120 military service members by presenting them with American Red Cross certificates of appreciation in recognition of their selfless service to the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces. These were individuals who assisted us with delivery of ECMs and volunteering to help in distributing items and supporting our events during the past four and half months.

Counseling

The American Red Cross offers confidential counseling services to all military personnel — active duty, National Guard and Reserves — and their families. Counseling, guidance, information, referrals and other social services are available through our worldwide network of chapters and offices on military installations.
As National Guard and Reserve units are called to full-time duty status, counseling has become increasingly important to prepare the civilian-based military members and their families for the period of activation. Because members of the National Guard and Reserve typically live in civilian neighborhoods, they and their families frequently have difficulty accessing much-needed, military-related social services. Call 428-7758 for help.
American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces is available for members of the U.S. Military and their families 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year both at home and abroad. Wherever there are U.S. military personnel, you will find the Red Cross. For the American soldier and his or her family, the Red Cross is the connection to home, relaying urgent information -- a family crisis, a death in the family, a financial emergency, or a joyous birth.