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Keeping in touch during a deployment can be difficult for military families. Members of the Navy, Marines and some Special Forces units are especially limited in their communication abilities and you may feel like there is no way to contact them in case of emergency.

Thankfully, the American Red Cross has a dedicated service to connect military families in times of emergency even when service members are stationed on ships, at foreign embassies or remote locations.

How will you get in contact with your service member when you have an emergency?

Examples of qualifying family emergencies include…

• Death or serious illness of an immediate family member
• Birth of a child or grandchild
• Immediate family is effected by a natural disaster

The Red Cross can carry a number of different messages to service members; so don’t be afraid to contact them to see how they can help.

If you are in need of emergency communication service, you can call (877) 272-7337 toll-free from the continental U.S.

Even if you think you can contact your service member through email or on the phone, you may want to have the Red Cross send an official message for verification. If this is the type of emergency that requires a trip home, the official Red Cross message can aid in a commanding officer’s decision to approve emergency leave.

Before you call make sure you gather some personal information to ensure your message is sent to the right person immediately. You’ll need to provide as much of the following information as possible

• Full Name
• Date of Birth
• Rank
• Branch
• Social Security Number
• Military Address

Rest easy during deployment knowing that no matter what happens, your service member can be reached through the American Red Cross

Photo thanks to Official U.S. Navy Imagery via Flickr Creative Commons

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