AER offers assistance

BY FAMILY & MWR ARMY EMERGENCY RELIEF (AER)

The coronavirus outbreak may affect many aspects of our military life, including financial readiness.

“Nervous, anxious, uneasy…” these are some of the feelings our Soldiers and Families are experiencing as they consider how the coronavirus might impact them.

Soldiers directly impacted by COVID-19 can seek assistance through Army Emergency Relief (AER). The Fort Bliss AER section is providing assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic for routine AER assistance requests. Depending on the circumstances, AER support provides emergency financial help with interest-free loans, grants or a combination of both.

Every request is unique and considered on an individual basis. However, the program will remain flexible, available, and ready to assist to meet the needs of Soldiers and Families. Soldiers eligible for assistance include those receiving Permanent Change of Station (PCS) stop movement orders, canceled U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard deployments, etc. Before applying, Soldiers must first have an AER Form 101 signed by their unit commander or first sergeant. Despite the economic crunch associated with the pandemic, the Fort Bliss AER section is currently open and helping the military community.

Much of the process of getting help from AER can be done on the phone or via encrypted email. The first step is to call the Fort Bliss AER at 915- 569-8376. If you and your family are experiencing financial challenges, while much has changed during the COVID-19 pandemic, one constant remains, Fort Bliss AER stands ready to help Soldiers and Families.

It offers a number of services to help you take control and become financially stress free. Civilian Federal Employees: the Federal Employee Education and Assistance Funds (FEEA) is the only nonprofit organization devoted to provide emergency financial assistance to the civilian federal and postal public servants and their families. For more information, visit https://feea.org/.

For more information about AER, call 915-569- 8376. If you would like to donate to the program, visit, http://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/.