Communication vital to Red Cross operations Published Jan. 28, 2010 By Senior Airman Kali L. Gradishar 52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs SPANGDAHLEM AIR BASE, Germany -- Not every U.S. Air Forces in Europe installation has an American Red Cross office like Spangdahlem. In fact, there are 19 base-located American Red Cross offices in the U.S., and only 50 on military installations worldwide. "That's a small number of people doing a large number of things," said Tom Smith, Spangdahlem American Red Cross station manager. They are responsible for emergency communications for situations such as serious illness or death of immediate family members, which includes the mother, father, brother, sister, step family members, and depending on the circumstances, grandparents. For the Spangdahlem office, the area of responsibility is from France to Norway and everywhere in between for all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as servicemembers serving in NATO and Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe positions. Anywhere American Red Cross staff is located, though, their main function is always emergency communications, he said. The same goes for deployed locations. The American Red Cross has paid staff members, as well as reserve red cross employees, who are required by their duty descriptions to be deployable. Mr. Smith recently returned from a deployment to Afghanistan, where he saw the average number of messages relayed per month jump from 300 to 1,000 resulting from an increase in troops in theater, he said. That was his third deployment since assigned to Spangdahlem in 2002. "When we're deployed, we live just like the servicemembers do," Mr. Smith said. "If they're sleeping in tents, we're sleeping in tents. If they're in buildings, we're in buildings. We go through the cold showers, the no showers. "It's the best part of what we do. That's what we do, and while we're deployed, you get to see the value of the work you're doing," he added. The work he refers to is emergency communications, which include sending and receiving messages to and from family members in the U.S., at the home station or downrange. A message is typically transferred in one of two ways, he explained. A family member may generate a message through their local Red Cross, where it is verified and transmitted to the servicemember's local Red Cross. The message is then transferred to the servicemember's chain of command. The other option of sending a message is via a person here or throughout the office's area of responsibility contacting the Spangdahlem office by phone, e-mail or in person to initiate a message. That message is dispatched to the local Red Cross in the U.S. or other location where it's verified and transferred back here. "Sometimes, we receive messages from family members but they don't know exactly where the servicemember is or don't know the APO address," Mr. Smith said. "And that makes it more difficult to get the message across." To alleviate that issue, Red Cross staff provides a packet upon arrival at Spangdahlem or prior to deployment. When servicemembers have their mailing address information available, they fill it out and send it to family members back home. They recommend sending more than one message home, as people could have a number of family members in different areas, Mr. Smith said. The American Red Cross is present at all personnel deployment function lines, and also works with the Airman & Family Readiness Center to brief deployers and their family members about resources available to everyone involved during deployments. One resource available to family members is the American Red Cross First Aid and AED Training Course, which is held 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. the second Saturday of each month. The course costs $40, which covers the course fee, price of the book and Red Cross certification cards. "We remind remaining family members that when the active-duty member deploys, he or she takes that self-aid and buddy care training with them," Mr. Smith said. "We encourage them to receive the first aid training we provide. Family members of deployed servicemembers can take the course at a reduced price through the A&FRC. "We try to make the community overall a safer place," Mr. Smith said. "With not having an emergency room on base, family members need to know what to do until an ambulance arrives, as well as who to call, what numbers to call." Another issue the Red Cross tries to stress to servicemembers is their family care plan. While it is required to have a family care plan in preparation for deployments, servicemembers are not required to have an alternate family care plan. "We've had occasions, thankfully not many, where the remaining family member has an emergency of their own," Mr. Smith recalled. "For this reason, we suggest having that alternate plan in place, so in the event something occurs, we have the capability to reach out to find a preferably local place to take care of children." Beyond emergency communications and first-aid training, the American Red Cross also offers Basic Babysitters Training for people 11 years or older interested in learning the fundamentals of babysitting. The course is held 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. the third Saturday of each month. The cost is $35 and covers the course fee, a red cross backpack, first aid kit and a babysitters manual. The Advanced Babysitters Course is also available to graduates of the basic course. The babysitting courses are valuable for prospective babysitters to have on their résumés, because people are likely to search for the more experienced person to watch children, Mr. Smith noted. All courses are taught by volunteers within the community trained by Mr. Smith, also the instructor trainer. And as with many volunteer-based organizations, the American Red Cross at Spangdahlem welcomes those willing to donate their time. Interested individuals can retrieve a volunteer application in instructions from the Red Cross office or call DSN 452-9440. While the Spangdahlem American Red Cross office is open 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. daily, "our operations are 24/7. The Red Cross is never shut down," Mr. Smith added.