Army Emergency Relief CEO Tony Grinston visits the 11th Engineer Battalion and 23rd Chemical Battalion at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 19, 2025. Grinston met with Soldiers and senior leaders to discuss the Army Emergency Relief program and how it directly supports them and their families. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Estevan Hidalgo)

Service members participate in a game of tug-of-war hosted by Army Emergency Relief Chief Executive Officer Tony Grinston and AER members on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 19, 2025. Grinston and AER staff held several events over the course of two days to spread awareness about AER’s programs for Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ana Alrawi)

Army Emergency Relief Chief Executive Officer Tony Grinston visits U.S. Army Soldiers from 11th Engineer Battalion and 23rd Chemical Battalion at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 19, 2025. Grinston met with senior leaders and junior enlisted Soldiers to discuss Emergency Relief program and how it directly supports soldiers and their families. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ana Alrawi)

Army Emergency Relief Chief Executive Officer Tony Grinston visits U.S. Army Soldiers with the 11th Engineer Battalion and 23rd Chemical Battalion at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 19, 2025. Grinston met with senior leaders and junior enlisted Soldiers to discuss Emergency Relief program and how it directly supports soldiers and their families. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Ana Alrawi)

U.S. Army Soldiers participate in a “Squid Game” event held by Army Emergency Relief on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 19, 2025. AER held several events over the course of two days to spread awareness about AER’s programs for Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Seu Chan)

Army Emergency Relief Chief Executive Officer Tony Grinston chats with Soldiers about AER on Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 20, 2025. AER held several events over the course of two days to spread awareness about AER’s programs for Soldiers. (U.S. Army photo by Pfc. Seu Chan)

Army Emergency Relief CEO Tony Grinston visits the 11th Engineer Battalion and 23rd Chemical Battalion at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, May 19, 2025. Grinston met with Soldiers and senior leaders to discuss the Army Emergency Relief program and how it directly supports them and their families. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Estevan Hidalgo)

CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea -- Last month, Army Emergency Relief CEO Tony Grinston and his team visited U.S. Army Garrison Humphreys to encourage participation in the program that has provided financial assistance to Soldiers since 1942.

Following Grinston's visit, USAG Humphreys experienced an uptick in applications for relief, according to Matt Diehls, Army Emergency Relief officer for USAG Humphreys.

Diehls said historically increases in applications also coincide with PCS season. USAG Humphreys' participation rate is 2.9 percent.

The current campaign runs through June 14, the Army's 250th birthday.

During his two-day visit, Grinston spoke to hundreds of Camp Humphreys Soldiers and family members in various settings ranging from motor pools to focus groups to radio interviews.

At each event, he began by discussing the benefits of Army Emergency Relief while dispelling misconceptions and rewarding the occasional correct answer with a command coin.

However, in some cases, the real gold came in the form of the nuggets of wisdom he doled out as the Q&A session shifted from AER to Soldiers' questions about Grinston's experiences in the Army.

The former sergeant major of the Army's thoughtful answers, which were a mixture of wisdom wrapped in real talk with a dash of humor, did not disappoint.

When asked about the comparison between today's Army and when Grinston was coming up, he replied:

"I'm old enough to be your dad's drill sergeant. The biggest change -- there are so many -- is you're much stronger and faster than I ever was."

"Sergeants," he said, "it's your job to make your Soldiers better."

One Soldier asked about the number one skill junior officers and company grade officers could develop to better integrate with their NCOs. Grinston's reply was three-pronged:

1. Physical fitness that focuses on team building.

2. Give NCOs the resources they need.

3. Be a great teammate, especially in combat.

"It's not about you, it's about the team," Grinston said.

His visit wasn't all talk, though.

Grinston and his team ran a light-hearted, Squid Game-themed event for service members from two local units -- the 3rd Battlefield Coordination Detachment and B. Co., 304th Expeditionary Signal Battalion-Enhanced -- which had 100 percent AER participation rates this past year.

"Every year you're helping Soldiers with your donations," Grinston told the crowd of about 40 Soldiers. He said AER helps about 35,000 Soldiers each year.

During another event, a Soldier asked Grinston for advice to retiring Soldiers.

"Take some time off to get some sleep," he said. "Ninety days at least. Do some reflection -- at a retreat, for instance. Talk to some friends to help with the transition. The number one thing I hear is 'I'm not connected anymore.' You need to have a good network of people."

As Grinston and his team closed out a full second day at AFN's studio, the conversation shifted from AER to Soldier-to-Soldier content. He punctuated a personal anecdote with a maxim as simple as it is profound:

"Be the leader you always wanted to have," he said.

The 2025 AER campaign ends June 14. To learn more or donate, visit https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/assistance/.