Army Emergency Relief "AER" under fire

Duty Honor Country

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Better known as AER has come under fire mainly for keeping its money in reserve rather than getting out to help soldiers. The link below is to a very informative AP article that describes AER and its current issues. I feel it is worth a read because I have been in the Army for 8 years and I learned a bit.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/02/22/army-charity-hoards-millions-meant-help-veterans/

-- Despite strict rules against coercion, the Army uses pushy tactics to extract supposedly voluntary contributions, with superiors using language like: "How much can we count on from you?"


-- The Army sometimes offers rewards for contributions, though incentives are banned by program rules. It sometimes excuses contributors from physical training -- another clear violation.


-- AER screens every request for aid, peering into the personal finances of its troops, essentially making the Army a soldier's boss and loan officer.


"If I ask a private for something ... chances are everyone's going to do it. Why? Because I'm a lieutenant," says Iraq war veteran Tom Tarantino, otherwise an AER backer. "It can almost be construed as mandatory."


It's "offensive" to raise funds this way, says Rich Cowles, executive director of the independent Charities Review Council of Minnesota.

There has been more than a few times where a unit I was in used similar methods to get soldiers to donate. The article made a beef about soldiers who get in trouble for not paying the AER loans but it is not free money.
 
News article: Army Charity hoards money

Partisan 19 Hours Ago
http://www.comcast.net/articles/news...rity.Abridged/

I have to say that I'm not impressed with this conduct. I understand that a charity doesn't want to spend everything all at once, but surely its job is to help out those in need on a consistent & fair basis. Also why is it cutting back on its scholarship aid?

In the British army you contribute 1 days pay year to the Army Benevolent fund, pretty much encouraged to sign up as a recruit, but you can opt out. No rewards for signing up or for not contributing - seems a pretty shabby way of doing business, pay money to get out of PT.

Originally posted under the news items. I think that this is abysmal behaviour and that the charity is not only failing in its function - it is abusing it position! Paedophiles are not allowed to work with children, should retired officers with vested interests be allowed to work for military charity?
 
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I can remember the Navy Relief drives. You don't have to donate......but ya better. Never had a problem with Navy Relief cutting loans though to any Marines that I took up there. Provided to had all your ducks in a row, like counseling sheets or Red Cross notifications etc.

Haven't deal;t much with AER.
 
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