October 06, 2009 
By Erin O’Neill
What Their Website Says…
“Army Emergency Relief is a private, non-profit organization incorporated in 1942 by trhe Secretary of War and the Army Cheifs of Staff. AER’s sole mission is to help soldiers and their dependents. AER is the Army’s own emergency financal assistance organization and is dedicated to ‘Helping the Army Take Care of Its Own.’”
The Gist
Like all the military relief societies, AER provides money (in the form of loans, grants and scholarships) to soldiers and their families who are in need of emergency funds cover food, rent, transportation, or unexpected costs such as medical, dental or funeral expenses.
Services
AER offers a variety of interest free loans, grants, and combinations of loans and grants for qualifying soldiers and their families. They also have a variety of scholarships for spouses, widows/widowers and children of soldiers both overseas and stateside.
Their Mission is….
“Established in 1942 by the Secretary of War, Army Emergency Relief is proud to have helped more than 3 million soldiers and their families overcome financial emergencies during these last 67 years. Since its founding AER has always been where soldiers are stationed when they need help. Though many things have changed over the years, one thing remains constant: our commitment to our long standing principle of caring for your financial emergency with integrity and professionalism. AER is always there when you need us.”
The Good
One of the best things about AER services is that they’re available to any soldier or their family, anytime, even while the service member is deployed. As long as a spouse can provide their military ID, a power of attorney and document proof of the financial need (such as the medical bill or car repair estimate), having the service member present is not necessary. Another perk about going through AER is that there’s no pre-set limit on how much financial assistance is available. AER evaluates funding on a case-by-case basis, and determines whether the applicant will receive a grant or a loan based on the situation and the individual financial burden. AER has also received a 4-star rating from watchdog Charity Navigator.
The Bad
Since the funds are actually routed through the Command, getting help from AER outside of the command structure is not an option. For soldiers looking to keep their financial matters completely separate from their work, this can be a seriously limiting option.
The Iffy
Because all AER funds have to go through the Army chain of Command and are considered individually, the excess red tape can mean turnaround times vary dramatically. One client might get a same-day disbursement of funds, while the client sitting next to him might have to wait a week before receiving aid.
Overall Assessment
A reliable resource for soldiers and their families facing a financial burden because of an emergency that they’re comfortable discussing within their chain of Command.
Learn more at
http://www.aerhq.org/.