Good morning, ladies and gentlemen,
With Hurricane Irma having just passed through Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and now bearing down dangerously on Florida, I wanted to share with your organizations some important DoD and Federal Agency information for our Service members, veterans and families who are impacted (special thanks to NMFA for publishing much of this information on its website at:
http://www.militaryfamily.org/featured-news/theres-no-such-thing-as-being-over-prepared.html )
1) TRICARE has updated its website to include specific information for those who are or are about to be impacted by Hurricane Irma and are working through the recovery from Hurricane Harvey:
https://tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo/DisasterAlerts/09_05_17_PuertoRico_FL_Irma
https://tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo/DisasterAlerts/08_24_17_Texas_Harvey
Additional TRICARE resources include:
Information to consider BEFORE an emergency occurs
https://tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo/BeforeDisaster
Information to consider AFTER an emergency occurs
https://tricare.mil/Resources/DisasterInfo/AfterDisaster
Tricare Contact Information
TRICARE North Region
Health Net Federal Services, LLC
1-877-TRICARE
(1-877-874-2273)
www.hnfs.com
TRICARE South Region
Humana Military
1-800-444-5445
www.humana-military.com
TRICARE West Region
UnitedHealthCare Military & Veterans
1-877-988-WEST
(1-877-988-9378)
www.uhcmilitarywest.com
2) Specific Information For Impacted Service Members and Families: Local installation commands are the primary source of information for affected members and families. They should frequently check their installation website and Facebook pages for information specific to their area.
In addition to local resources, these national links provide vital information on preparedness and recovery:
DoD Disaster Preparedness
https://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/National-Preparedness-Month-2017/source/GovDelivery/
MilitaryOneSource
http://www.militaryonesource.mil/preparing-your-family-for-emergencies
FEMA
https://www.fema.gov/
https://www.fema.gov/hurricane-irma
NOAA
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/
National Readiness Campaign
www.Ready.gov
DoD News Related to Hurricanes Irma and Harvey
https://www.defense.gov/News/Archive/Tag/98280/hurricane-irma/
https://www.defense.gov/News/Special-Reports/0817_hurricane-harvey/
For our Veteran community, The VA has published helpful information at these links:
http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/hurricane-irma/
http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/hurricane-harvey/
3) Military Aid Societies are the official Military Service charities that assist our Service Members and families in times of need:
Army Emergency Relief
https://www.aerhq.org/ Phone number: 866-878-6378
Air Force Aid Society
https://www.afas.org/ Phone Number: 703-972-2650
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
http://www.nmcrs.org/pages/disaster-relief Phone Number: (800)-654-8364
Coast Guard Mutual Assistance (CGMA)
http://www.cgmahq.org/ Phone Number: 800-881-2462
4) Other Ways to Help (DoD endorsement/solicitation not intended)
From the FEMA Website (
www.fema.gov/hurricane-irma): "To help people affected by the storm [cash donations and volunteering], visit the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster webpage for a listed of trusted organizations."
https://www.nvoad.org/
The Corporation for National and Community Service has information for those who wish to volunteer
https://www.nationalservice.gov/focus-areas/disaster-services/hurricane-irma
https://www.nationalservice.gov/focus-areas/disaster-services/hurricane-harvey
National Readiness Campaign also has information on how to volunteer.
https://www.ready.gov/get-involved
5) Finally, I also would like to acknowledge that many (perhaps most, if not all) of your organizations have stepped forward in meaningful ways to help our impacted military members veterans and families. My deepest thanks and appreciation to all of you for your steadfast support and dedication to the well-being of our force and families. And to those of you whose organizations are also directly affected, my thoughts and prayers to you, your workforce and families (thinking of you specifically, General Linnington -- please be safe).
Please feel free to share these links and resources with your respective members and constituents. Best wishes to all and many thanks for your support for our force, veterans and families.
David
David L. Nokes
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
Community & Public Outreach
Pentagon, Room 2D982; 703-693-0309, DSN 223
[email protected]
CLASSIFICATION: UNCLASSIFIED
