The 2025 Army Emergency Relief campaign officially kicked off March 5, with Fort Leonard Wood senior leaders signing the first pledges during the Community Information Forum held in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
As the U.S. Army’s official nonprofit, AER provides grants, interest-free loans and scholarships to promote readiness and help relieve any financial distress Soldiers and their families may experience.
This year’s Army-wide campaign, entitled Honoring the Past – Securing the Future, runs through the Army’s birthday, June 14, in honor of the “U.S. Army’s 250 years of bravery and service.”
Chuck Matthews, Army Community Services Financial Readiness program manager, said Fort Leonard Wood’s goal is to raise $250,000 this year by achieving a 90% donation rate from Soldiers and $25,000 from each battalion.
“We had 88.8% of the Soldiers donate to the campaign here at Fort Leonard Wood last year,” Matthews said. “We’re asking for 90% to donate this year, that’s only 1.2% more than last year.”
In 2024, AER assisted more than 36,000 Soldiers across the Army with over $53 million. Locally, 489 Soldiers were helped with approximately $830,000 in assistance. According to Matthews, a large portion of this was grants. Additional financial assistance at the local level includes 36 scholarships awarded to military spouses and children.
“AER is all about teams and making a difference,” said Maj. Gen. Christopher Beck, Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and Fort Leonard Wood commanding general. “It’s really important that everybody understands what AER is, because AER goes right back to us. Each one of you, regardless of what position you have and all the folks you represent, either personally or in a time of need, benefited from AER or know someone who did.”
Beck, along with Command Sgt. Maj. Jorge Arzabala recognized the top contributors for 2024.
In the No. 1 slot with $95,910 raised and 63.6% of Soldiers donating was 1st Engineer Brigade, followed by 14th Military Police Brigade with $87,879 and 62.3%, and 3rd Chemical Brigade with $69,485 at 49.9%.
The following units were presented with the AER streamer as recognition for achieving a 90%, or higher, Soldier-donation rate during the 2024 campaign:
Company D, 554th Engineer Battalion, with 90.3%;
58th Transportation Battalion, with 91.4%;
Company C, 2nd Battalion, 10th Infantry Regiment, with 91.5%;
Company A, 701st Military Police Battalion, with 91.5%;
Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 5th Engineer Battalion, with 91.6%;
Company C, 58th Transportation Battalion, with 92%;
Company B, 31st Engineer Battalion, with 93%;
Company A, 58th Engineer Battalion, with 93.6%;
31st Engineer Battalion, with 95.8%;
Company A, 31st Engineer Battalion, with 98.9%;
Company B, 58th Transportation Battalion, with 98.9%;
Company C, 795th Military Police Battalion, with 99.5%;
Company C, 31st Engineer Battalion, with 100%;
Company B, 701st Military Police Battalion, with 100%;
and U.S. Army Prime Power School, with 100%.
To make an AER donation or request AER assistance, call 573.596.0613 or 3154. More information on AER is available at https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/
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