Air Force Aid Society (AFAS)
 
 The Air Force Aid Society (AFAS) is the official charity of the United
 States Air Force incorporated in 1942 as a non-profit organization whose
 mission is to help relieve financial distress of Air Force members and
 their families and to assist them in financing their higher education
 goals.  See: www.afas.org/       
 Types of assistance available at most Air Force Bases (includes
 assistance for Air National Guard & Air Force Reserve Personnel):
 *        basic living expenses - interest-free loans and grants for
 short-term or one-time emergencies for food, rent, utilities
 *        medical and dental care, including Respite Care for "special
 needs" family members funeral expenses - bridge loan assistance when
 needed to cover necessary costs of funeral until SGLI pays - and
 assistance to surviving dependents
 *        car repairs, emergency travel, and other emergencies
 *        pay/allotment problems
 *        disasters - American Red Cross has primary responsibility, AFAS
 supplements
 *        Give Parents a Break program, which offers periodic child care
 at specified evening and weekend times
 *        Child Care for PCS (permanent change of station)
 *        Phone Home program
 *        Education Grant Program - $1,500 grants to dependent children
 and spouses
 Note:  There are no AFAS locations within NY State, but AFAS maintains a
 cross-servicing agreement with emergency relief organizations of the Army
 and Navy so Air Force people can request help through those offices when
 no AF facility is relatively close to the member/family.  Local Red Cross
 offices will also provide assistance when there is no military base or
 post nearby and then will be reimbursed by Hq AFAS.
 
 Army Emergency Relief (AER)
 
 AER is the Army's own emergency financial assistance organization and is
 dedicated to "Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own". AER provides
 commanders a valuable asset in accomplishing their basic command
 responsibility for the morale and welfare of soldiers.  AER funds are
 made available to commanders having AER Sections to provide emergency
 financial assistance to soldiers - active & retired - and their
 dependents when there is a valid need.  AER funds made available to
 commanders are not limited and are constrained only by the requirement of
 valid need.  For these reasons, the AER assistance program is conducted
 within the Army structure by major commanders and their
 installation/organization commanders through AER sections and other
 related organizations.  See: www.aerhq.org/       
 
 E-mail addresses for specific questions:
 
 AER - aer@aerhq.org - general questions/comments concerning our
 organization.
 Assistance - assistance@aerhq.org - procedures and/or policy on obtaining
 AER financial assistance.
 Campaign - campaign@aerhq.org - questions concerning donations, bequests
 or annual fund raising campaign at Army installations. Also for questions
 about contribution allotments.
 Education - education@aerhq.org - questions concerning MG James Ursano
 scholarship fund and Spouse Education Assistance Program - eligibility,
 awards, programs deadlines, and change of school.
 Repayments/Allotments - repayments/allotments@aerhq.org - repayment of
 AER loans and/or repayment allotments for active duty or retired pay.
 Samaritan - samaritan@aerhq.org - Samaritan program - questions regarding
 completion of assistance cases, campaign submissions, and corrections to
 errors that have been processed to HQAER.
 Training - training@aerhq.org - AERO/AAERO training, either on site or
 through HQAER.
 
 Locations:
 
 Commander, Ft. Hamilton (01011)
 ATTN: AFZT-FHB-AER
 Bldg. 301
 Brooklyn NY 11252-5250
 fergusons@hamilton.army.mil - (718) 630-4552 - FAX:  (718) 630-4613
 
 Commander, Ft. Drum (03002)
 ATTN: AFZS-CA-AER
 4330 Conway Road
 Ft. Drum NY 13602-5286
 afzs-pa-aer@drum.army.mil - (315) 772-6560/6555 - FAX: (315) 772-6566
 
 Superintendent, US Military Academy (09031)
 ATTN: USMA-West Point (AER Officer)
 Bldg. 622 Swift Road, Room 101
 West Point NY 10996-1510
 ym3314@usma.army.mil - (845) 938-4621/2519/5653 - FAX: (845) 938-3019
 
 Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
 
 Coast Guard Mutual Assistance is a non-profit organization providing
 financial assistance to the Coast Guard community.  Types of assistance:
 Debt Management, Education, Emergency Assistance, General, Housing,
 Layette, and Medical.  See: www.cgmahq.org/
 
 Locations:
 
 Commander
 CG Mutual Assistance Rep.
 USCG Group Buffalo
 1 Fuhrmann Blvd.
 Buffalo, NY  14203-3189
 SCPO James E. Cox - (716) 843-9506 - jecox@grubuffalo.uscg.mil       
 
 Commander
 CG Mutual Assistance Rep.
 USCG Group Moriches
 100 Moriches Island Road
 East Moriches, NY  11940-9791
 YN2 Michael T. Linley - (631) 395-4432 - mlinley@grumor.uscg.mil       
 
 Commander
 CG Mutual Assistance Rep.
 USCG Activities New York
 212 Coast Guard Drive
 Ft. Wadsworth
 Staten Island, NY  10305
 CWO Kimberly A. Smith - (718) 354-4038 - kimsmith@actny.uscg.mil       
 
 Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS)
 
 The Society provides financial assistance to eligible recipients in the
 form of:
 *        Interest-free loans and grants to meet emergency needs
 *        Needs-based scholarships and interest-free loans for educational
 purposes
 *        Budget Counseling Services
 *        Food Lockers at some locations
 *        Infant Layettes
 *        "junior seabags"
 *        Budget for Baby Seminars
 *        Thrift Shops
 *        Visiting Nurse Services
 
 See: www.nmcrs.org/about.html       
 
 NMCRS Ballston Spa
 Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
 Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit
 PO Box 300
 Ballston Spa, NY 12020-0300
 Hours: Upon Request - Phone: (518) 884-1555 - Fax: (518) 884-3314
 
 NMCRS Newburgh
 Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
 MAG 49 Det B Stewart ANG Base
 1 McDonald Street
 Newburgh, NY 12550-5012
 Hours: Tues 1000-1400 - Phone: (845) 567-6074 - Fax: (845) 567-6074
 
 NMCRS Saratoga Springs
 Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
 Naval Family Service Center
 277 Washington Street
 Saratoga Springs, NY 12866
 Hours: Upon Request - Phone: (518) 583-2900 - Fax: (518) 580-0273
 
 
 BLANK DD-214 FORMS BEING SOLD:
 
 The March 10, 2003 "Air Force Times" reports that blank discharge
 certificates and military awards are being sold through eBay and others
 on the Internet.  These are often offered as "collector's items," with
 the caution, "It is a felony to use them for deceptive purposes."
 
 Someone who does actually fill-out a DD-214 form or Honorable Discharge
 certificate, and tries to pass it off as genuine, could face a federal
 conviction, a $5,000 fine and imprisonment for one year.  (Thanks! To
 Deputy Director Joseph Vogtli)
 
 
 FEDERAL BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND DEPENDENTS - 2003 EDITION:
 
 Electronic version at: www.va.gov/pubaff/fedben/Fedben.pdf   (Thanks! To
 Rosemary Duncan, retired from Stratton VAMC, but still "there" for her
 vets!)
 
 
 DATABASE SEARCH FOR VIETNAM KIAs:
 
 Using the following site, you can search for KIAs by branch of service,
 home state, date of casualty, or panel location on the Vietnam Veterans
 Memorial: http://thewall-usa.com/       
 
 
 LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD EMPLOYERS:
 
 Have you seen the reports about how Sears is treating its reservist
 employees who are called-up?  By law, the employer is required to hold
 the individual's job open and available, but nothing more.  Usually,
 people serving our country take a big pay cut and lose benefits as a
 result of being called to active duty.
 
 Sears is voluntarily paying the difference in salaries and maintaining
 all benefits, including medical insurance and bonus programs, for all
 called-up reservist employees for up to two years.  Sears, and some
 others, are exemplary corporate citizens and should be recognized for
 their contributions.  See: www.family.org/cforum/fnif/news/a0025350.html
      
 
 For lists of other employers who are making "extra efforts":
 www.esgr.org/employers/outstandingEmployers.asp &
 www.coldfury.com/HF/index.html#anchor. 
 
 The US Department of Labor wants to hear about other local employers who
 are treating their deployed reservists with the respect they deserve.
 Some of these employers may receive a certificate to recognize their
 actions.