OKINAWA, Japan (May 17, 2013) -- This year's Army Emergency Relief Fund campaign has officially ended, and Army personnel on Okinawa exceeded their goal by nearly $20,000.
The goal was $25,000 but thanks to the generosity and compassion of myriad Soldiers and civilians, the campaign received more than $44,000. Special congratulations go out to 1-1 Air Defense Artillery, which provided more than half of this year's total.
For more than seven decades, AER campaign objectives have remained the same: To create greater awareness of Army Emergency Relief benefits and give Soldiers the opportunity to help their fellow Soldiers.
All those who donated exemplify this year's theme of "Supporting Soldiers and their Families -- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow" and your generosity and kindness is appreciated.
Soldiers requiring AER assistance should contact their unit Chain of Command or go to their local installation AER office. Due to reciprocal agreements with the other military aid societies, Soldiers and families not near an Army installation can get AER assistance at an Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard base from the Air Force Aid Society, Navy Marine Corps Relief Society, and Coast Guard Mutual Assistance respectively or from the American Red Cross call center at 877-272-7337. Additional program information is available at www.aerhq.org.