After 73 years, AER still provides for Soldiers, Family members, survivors

By Mr. Bryan Gatchell (IMCOM)March 5, 2015

Sgt. Maj. (retired) Steve Broadway
1 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – ANSBACH, Germany (March 5, 2015) -- Sgt. Maj. (retired) Steve Broadway, the senior emergency assistance administrator for Army Emergency Relief, speaks to a luncheon audience. U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach kicked off the Army Emergency Relief campaign W... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Command Sgt. Maj. Osvaldo Martell
2 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – ANSBACH, Germany (March 5, 2015) -- Command Sgt. Maj. Osvaldo Martell, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade command sergeant major, asks a question about Army Emergency Relief. U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach kicked off the Army Emergency Relief campaign Wednesda... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Sgt. Maj. (retired) Steve Broadway
3 / 3 Show Caption + Hide Caption – ANSBACH, Germany (March 5, 2015) -- Sgt. Maj. (retired) Steve Broadway, the senior emergency assistance administrator for Army Emergency Relief, speaks. U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach kicked off the Army Emergency Relief campaign Wednesday at the Katterb... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ANSBACH, Germany (March 5, 2015) -- U.S. Army Garrison Ansbach kicked off the Army Emergency Relief campaign Wednesday at the Katterbach Dining Facility.

Sgt. Maj. (retired) Steve Broadway, the senior emergency assistance administrator, was the guest speaker at the event.

AER is a private, non-profit organization that provides financial assistance to active and retired Soldiers and their Families. The majority of the funds AER spends goes to rent and mortgage payments, emergency travel, and vehicle payments and repairs, according to Broadway. The organization has been around for 73 years. Its motto: "Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own Since 1942."

Last year AER granted or loaned $47 million. For USAG Ansbach, 119 Soldiers, Family members and survivors received $118,000 in interest-free loans and grants.

"If AER went away, if we weren't there for these Soldiers, I'm not sure where they would go to get those funds," said Broadway. "They would probably end up at non-banking institutions paying outrageous interest rates and even worse."

This year's campaign runs now through May 15. There are 46 AER campaign unit representatives at USAG Ansbach, and since its inception Sunday the campaign has raised $6,674 locally, according to John Hartman, AER program manager for USAG Ansbach

Besides raising funds one of the purposes of the AER campaign was to dispel the stigma that has been incorrectly associated with the financial relief program. During his remarks to attendees, Broadway talked about the current misconceptions about the program. According to a recent survey, many Soldiers thought that applying for AER assistance would lose them their security clearance, would cause them to return from deployment, would lose them their eligibility to deploy, would hurt their chances for promotion and would cause them to receive non-judicial punishment. Broadway assured attendees that none of this was true.

"There are no adverse repercussions for going to AER and getting assistance," said Broadway.

Also in attendance were Command Sgt. Maj. Mark A. Kiefer, USAG Ansbach command sergeant major; Lt. Col. Lee S. Fennema, 12th Combat Aviation Brigade deputy commander; Command Sgt. Maj. Osvaldo Martell, 12th CAB command sergeant major; and many others.

"Most lending institutions (lend money) with the intent of something to gain," said Kiefer. "Army Emergency Relief doesn't do that. They do it for the gain of the Soldier."

Those in attendance, besides learning about AER, also ate Italian food. A second kick-off luncheon took place today at Storck Barracks at the Storck Dining Facility. The menu featured soul food.

To learn more about the AER campaign, visit www.aerhq.org/ or "Army Emergency Relief" in the "Related Links" section.

AER also has an application for smartphones. To learn more, select "AER smartphone app" in the "Related Links" section.

Related Links:

USAG Ansbach official blog site

Army Emergency Relief

USAG Ansbach official home page

USAG Ansbach official Flickr page

USAG Ansbach official Twitter feed

USAG Ansbach official Facebook page

USAG Ansbach official YouTube channel