The American Red Cross helps military families communicate during a family emergency. Southwestern Pennsylvania Chapter Armed Forces Emergency Services relays emergency leave requests in the event of a critical accident, illness, birth, or death in a service member's immediate family. Even if there is no emergency, the Red Cross can provide family members who are concerned about their far-away military relatives with a health and welfare inquiry.
Service members get the same service to ask about their families back home.
Other features of this service are interest-free loans for emergency travel expenses of a qualifying military member, budget counseling to service members and their families, and humanitarian reassignment requests.