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RedCrossSAF_Brown_Presentation_LVMAC_16Nov2022.pptx
- 1. Service to the Armed Forces: Introduction
- 2. Clara Barton: Founder and First American Red Cross President 1861: Clara Barton began serving soldiers on the battlefields of the Civil War. Clara’s compassion during the Civil War foreshadowed the volunteer services embodied in our mission today. President of the American Red Cross: 1881-1904 1
- 3. Congressional Charter (1905) “To act… in accordance with the military authorities as a medium of communication between the people of the United States and the armed forces of the United States…” 2
- 4. Hallmarks of Service to the Armed Forces 1916: The U.S. Surgeon General requests the American Red Cross officially administer 58 base hospitals. Core services born from this charge included communications, recreational and medical social services 1917: The Red Cross established base hospitals for service to the military throughout Europe. American Red Cross “Gray Lady” service during WW I 3
- 5. Hallmarks of Service to the Armed Forces 1917-1918: “Camp services” provided at 400 domestic U.S. installations throughout World War I. 1941: The founding of SAF officially unifies all military service functions of the Red Cross 1943: More than 27 million Red Cross care packages are sent to American POWs in Europe “Gray Lady” service during WW II 4
- 6. Hallmarks of Service to the Armed Forces 1939-1945: The American Red Cross assisted more than 75 million civilian victims in WW II. 1946: The Red Cross is one of six charter members for the new Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service (VAVS) unit. 1949: General George C. Marshall becomes the president of the American Red Cross 5
- 7. Hallmarks of Service to the Armed Forces 1953: The American and Korean Red Cross societies collaborated on prisoner exchange at the end of the Korean War 1972: The Red Cross delivered thousands of taped “Voices from Home” to service members overseas 1973: The American Red Cross delivered 2.1 million emergency communications by the end of the Vietnam War 6
- 8. Hallmarks of Service to the Armed Forces 1990: Red Cross workers arrived in the Persian Gulf just five days after the launch of Operation Desert Shield 1991: During the Persian Gulf conflict, more than 200,000 emergency communications were delivered 2022: Red Cross SAF workers deploy with troops sent to neighboring countries of Ukraine 7
- 9. SAF Staff Deployments 1898 - Spanish American War 1917 - WWI 1941 - WWII 1950 – Korea War 1968 – Vietnam Conflict 1990 – Panama Conflict 1990 - Desert Shield (Kuwait; Saudi Arabia; Bahrain) 1991 - Desert Storm Conflict 1993 – Somalia 1994 - Rwanda 1994 - Haiti/Cuba 1995 - Bosnia/Croatia/Hungary 1999 – Albania/Kosovo 2001 – Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) Uzbekistan 2002 – OEF Afghanistan 2003 – Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF); Operation New Dawn – Iraq; Kuwait 2010 – Unified Response, USNS Comfort (Haiti Earthquake) 2011 – OEF Djibouti 2015 – Operation Inherent Resolve (Kuwait)
- 10. 9 A Legacy of Supporting Those Who Serve For more than 130 years, the American Red Cross has provided comfort and support to members of the United States military.
- 11. Who We Serve Army Navy Marine Corps Air Force Coast Guard National Guard Reserves Veterans Military Family Members DOD Civilians (overseas) 10
- 12. Service to the Armed Forces Mission The SAF mission is to provide care and comfort to the members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. 11
- 13. SAF Services Emergency Services Information and Referral (Hero Care App) Building Family Resiliency Education (Outreach and Briefings) Serving Military and Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities Engaging Volunteers 12
- 14. Volunteer Opportunities in SAF Volunteers partner with Directors/Managers Provide support and assistance with/in: Emergency Services Military medical facilities; VA Hospitals Mental health workers conduct resilience courses and workshops Community Outreach and Relations – Partnerships, special events, presentations . . . the list goes on and on 13
- 15. Berks County Veterans Transportation Red Cross volunteer drivers provide rides for Berks County veterans to the Lebanon VA for medical services Started over 40 years ago to address lack of public transportation access for veterans Operates 5 days per week based on demand Program was on hold during pandemic Only program of its kind in American Red Cross Generously funded by the Berks County United Way 14
- 16. 15 An Incomparable Role There is no other Red Cross society that provides services to its nation’s military. • Our reach is global. Our services are local, penetrating both urban and rural communities. • Neutrality is a core Red Cross principle. It positions us to objectively support all military members. • Millions of little touches, like hospital visits and referral resources, make a big difference.
- 17. 2023 Pennsylvania Rivers Celebration of Heroes Two Communities, One Mission Berks County Heroes Breakfast March 10, 2023 Lehigh Valley Heroes Breakfast – NEW! March 16, 2023 Highlighting Veteran Heroes in many categories Seeking Nominations: www.redcross.org/pariversheroes 16
- 18. Questions 17
- 19. Want to help? LV Heroes Breakfast Committee Service to Armed Forces Many other volunteer opportunities Contact: Peter Brown, Executive Director peter.brown@redcross.org 610-533-0500 18
Editor's Notes
- Every day millions of American men and women answer their nation’s call to serve. These service members, veterans and their families bravely sacrifice to ensure our nation’s freedom. The American Red Cross has been providing support to those serving in the U.S. Armed Forces since Clara Barton began her humanitarian work on the battlefields of the Civil War. Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) builds upon that legacy. The purpose of this presentation is to provide a historical perspective of Service to the Armed Forces, its structure, and an overview of current services.
- No overview of SAF would be complete without including some biographical info about the founder and first president of the American Red Cross. . . . Clarissa “Clara” Harlowe Barton: Born Dec 25, 1821 in North Oxford, MA; the youngest of 5 children; homeschooled by her family. Somewhat a tomboy and was very shy. At an early age her sense of compassion and humanitarianism was demonstrated in her caring for her brother who became seriously ill following an accident. After several successful teaching posts she found her way to Washington, DC and a position of clerk at the U.S. Patent Office. Clara wasn’t afraid to take on tough issues at a time when women were often not allowed to be real leaders. 1861: Outbreak of the Civil War: Clara organized relief for the wounded & risked her life to bring supplies to the front lines. She wrote letters on behalf of wounded soldiers. She recognized the need for an organization apart from the War Department to distribute food and medical supplies to the troops. She solicited supplies from friends, distributed them and stayed to nurse and nourish the wounded. She was dubbed “the Angel of the Battlefield.” 1864: The Red Cross movement was founded by Henri Dunant in Geneva, Switzerland March,1865: President Lincoln appointed Barton to search for missing Civil War soldiers. 1866: After the war, Clara lectured throughout the Northeast and Midwest, describing her Civil War experiences 1869: Ordered to Europe by her doctor for rest; In Geneva, she met with Henri Dunant and learned about the Red Cross movement and the Geneva Conventions.
- 1870-71: Clara participated in relief efforts during Franco-Prussian War; afterwards she encouraged America to ratify the Geneva Conventions. U.S. Senate ratified the Geneva Conventions, formed the American Association of the Red Cross; Clara was it’s founder and became the organization’s first president. 1898: At age 76, Clara traveled with nurses to Havana, Cuba with supplies for victims of the Spanish-American War. It was the first Red Cross wartime assistance provided to the U.S. military 1900: Red Cross was granted authority by Congress to help victims of natural disasters. 1904: Clara Barton resigned from the American Red Cross. 1905: Congress revised the Red Cross charter to include aid to military members and families. Service to our nation’s military and disaster assistance are the only two Red Cross services mandated by Congress.
- During World War I: 1914-1918 The American Red Cross operated field hospitals. At the request of the military, Red Cross opened, supplied and staffed 58 base hospitals, mostly in France. Red Cross doctors staffed each hospital, along with nurses and admin staff. These were behind the lines, where the wounded were treated before they could be sent home to US hospitals like Walter Reed. Red Cross “Gray Ladies” were volunteers who went through rigorous training to provide non-medical care to patients in military hospitals. They wrote letters, read, tutored and shopped for patients, and served as guides to visitors and as hostesses in hospital recreation rooms and at information desks.
- Red Cross provided Camp Services: Serving coffee, doughnuts; handing out writing materials (pens, paper); visiting with troops 1941: America entered World War II. Red Cross volunteers were among the first responders to the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. 1941 also marked the official founding of SAF making it a distinct unit within the Red Cross structure. During WW II, Red Cross assigned recreation and social workers to military hospitals. During World War II, the “Gray Lady” service reached its peak with almost 50,000 women serving as Gray Ladies in military and other hospitals throughout the U.S. Following the war, some Gray Ladies even served in U.S. military hospitals overseas. While the number of Gray Ladies decreased after the war, these women continued serving in American hospitals until the mid-1960s when the Red Cross shifted to a unified concept of volunteers.
- During WW II, the American Red Cross was the primary source for civilian relief supplies (food, blankets, clothing, etc.) During 1946, there was a tremendous improvement in the speed of delivering Red Cross messages overseas by using transoceanic liner message delivery.
- 1953: The collaboration on “Operation Big Switch” ensured the exchange of 90,000 POWs from both sides at the end of the Korean War. “Voices from Home”: Taped messages from families and supportive American citizens. 1973: By the end of the Vietnam War, the American Red Cross had distributed more than 3 million “ditty bags” to troops containing comfort items. Today, we refer to them as “comfort kits.”
- During the Persian Gulf conflict (Operation Desert Shield/Storm), the American Red Cross deployed 158 SAF workers to handle emergency communications for deployed U.S. Forces.
- Throughout its history, beginning with the Spanish American War, American Red Cross staff have deployed with the U.S. military on combat, peace-keeping, peace-making, and humanitarian missions around the world. This slide lists all the military operations on which Red Cross staff have deployed. As indicated on the slide, deployment activity for U.S. Forces and for SAF since 1990 has been substantial.
- The American Red Cross has an impressive legacy of supporting our nation’s military and families. For more than 130 years, the American Red Cross has provided comfort and support to members of the United States military.
- Service to the Armed Forces programs provide assistance to: Active duty service members of all military branches Members of the National Guard and Reserve Veterans Military family members Red Cross services are provided to DOD civilians at overseas locations, including deployments.
- From the detailed biographical data about Clara Barton -- her service during the Civil War where she provided comfort and care to soldiers; the time she spent in Switzerland meeting with Henri Dunant (founder of the International Red Cross Movement); her participation in relief efforts during the Franco-Prussian War; and her service to soldiers during the Spanish-American War -- we can see how Clara became motivated to establish the American Red Cross. We proudly continue her legacy today.
- The Service to the Armed Forces programs provide assistance through six main areas of focus: Emergency Services Information and Referral services Building Family Resiliency Education (Outreach and Briefings) Serving Military and Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities Engaging volunteers Depending upon resources, some Red Cross offices develop and offer additional services such as outreach programs to homeless veterans or employment training for veterans. Let’s look at the services in more detail. . . .
- To say “volunteers are the heart of the American Red Cross” is not simply a cliché. The organization is led by volunteers. The Board of Governors set policy for the Red Cross and they are all volunteers. In CONUS: Volunteers fill both program management/leadership roles as well as providing direct services. Volunteer caseworkers provide client services - Family Follow-Up; Info and Referral Volunteers lead programs and activities in military medical facilities, and in VA hospitals. They work in offices and clinics; support the patient visitation cart; provide patient support, morale and rehabilitative activities. Volunteers provide Red Cross support at community events such as Yellow Ribbon; Deployment cycle events; Veteran Stand downs; community days; and parades, to name a few. Mental Health professionals volunteer as Reconnection Workshop and Coping with Deployment facilitators Volunteers are “boots on the ground” in all SAF programs and activities. Questions about local Red Cross volunteer programs should be directed to the local Red Cross unit.
- To say “volunteers are the heart of the American Red Cross” is not simply a cliché. The organization is led by volunteers. The Board of Governors set policy for the Red Cross and they are all volunteers. In CONUS: Volunteers fill both program management/leadership roles as well as providing direct services. Volunteer caseworkers provide client services - Family Follow-Up; Info and Referral Volunteers lead programs and activities in military medical facilities, and in VA hospitals. They work in offices and clinics; support the patient visitation cart; provide patient support, morale and rehabilitative activities. Volunteers provide Red Cross support at community events such as Yellow Ribbon; Deployment cycle events; Veteran Stand downs; community days; and parades, to name a few. Mental Health professionals volunteer as Reconnection Workshop and Coping with Deployment facilitators Volunteers are “boots on the ground” in all SAF programs and activities. Questions about local Red Cross volunteer programs should be directed to the local Red Cross unit.
- It IS an incomparable role. We have earned the trust of our nation’s military. They expect that the Red Cross is available to them wherever we have military forces, around the world and around the clock. And they rely on our services.
- To say “volunteers are the heart of the American Red Cross” is not simply a cliché. The organization is led by volunteers. The Board of Governors set policy for the Red Cross and they are all volunteers. In CONUS: Volunteers fill both program management/leadership roles as well as providing direct services. Volunteer caseworkers provide client services - Family Follow-Up; Info and Referral Volunteers lead programs and activities in military medical facilities, and in VA hospitals. They work in offices and clinics; support the patient visitation cart; provide patient support, morale and rehabilitative activities. Volunteers provide Red Cross support at community events such as Yellow Ribbon; Deployment cycle events; Veteran Stand downs; community days; and parades, to name a few. Mental Health professionals volunteer as Reconnection Workshop and Coping with Deployment facilitators Volunteers are “boots on the ground” in all SAF programs and activities. Questions about local Red Cross volunteer programs should be directed to the local Red Cross unit.
- We hope you found this SAF overview helpful. What questions do you have?
- The Service to the Armed Forces programs provide assistance through six main areas of focus: Emergency Services Information and Referral services Building Family Resiliency Education (Outreach and Briefings) Serving Military and Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities Engaging volunteers Depending upon resources, some Red Cross offices develop and offer additional services such as outreach programs to homeless veterans or employment training for veterans. Let’s look at the services in more detail. . . .