Shades
of Green This AFRC services families who are visiting Disneyworld
in Florida.
The military has a wide range of departments and
resources which can provide personal and spiritual assistance to individual
Reservists and their families.
Family Centers
Most military installations have Family
Centers, which provide information, life-skills
education, and support services. One of the primary functions of the Family
Center is to link customers with appropriate services available in the local
community or through state and federal assistance programs.
Each service refers to their own centers
by a different name:
Army: Army
Community Service Centers (ACS) Navy: Family Service Centers (FSC) Air Force: Family Support Centers (FSC) Marine Corps:
Family Service Centers (FSC)
Family Centers can provide many emergency and long-term
assistance to military members and families, including:
Quick-response crisis assistance.
Support for members and their families before, during and after
deployments; this also includes reservists.
Employment assistance for military spouses
and family members in finding jobs on base and in local communities.
For more information on careers for both servicemembers and spouses,
see the Careers section.
Financial management counseling and education.
For more information on military finance, see our Finance
section.
New parent education programs, including classes (sometimes in-home) and
advice on newborn and infant care.
Relocation assistance. For more information,
see the Relocation
section.
Support Groups: From 12-step programs to family support groups during
deployment, a whole range of support groups are available to military
members.
These are only a sample of what is available at
military family centers. Check out our Military
Installations Directory to find the center closest to you.
Relief Societies/Emergency Financial Assistance
If your family has a serious financial problem,
your command's family support group, ombudsman, or family readiness point
of contact can provide information about your service branch relief society,
or other options. The American Red Cross (see the Private Help topic box
at the right) can provide helpful information, and collaborates with military
aid societies in providing financial assistance for circumstances such as
emergency travel, burial assistance, or urgent health and welfare needs
such as food and shelter. For more on relief and assistance, see the Private
Help topic box on the right.
Inspectors General
Inspectors General serve as a kind of "Internal
Affairs" for the military. If you have a concern or complaint about
possibly illegal or unjust activities in your unit or your base, you can
approach an Inspector General for assistance. For more information see the
Inspectors
General section.
Private Help
Be aware there are many private organizations,
some of them affiliated with particular service branches, that can help
you in times of need. Some of these organizations are listed in the Private
Help topic box.
