Red Cross supports Kadena's Airmen, families

  • Published
  • By 18th Medical Group
KADENA AIR BASE, Japan --  The American Red Cross station on Kadena works with numerous military units and private organizations to provide a variety of services and volunteer opportunities to the entire Department of Defense-affiliated population.

It is only through the contributions of time and money made by the American people that the Red Cross can accomplish its mission.

The mission of the Service to the Armed Forces is to provide care and comfort to the members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. It is the driving force for the establishment of the Red Cross.

"One mission of the Red Cross is to provide health and safety services and promote well-being in the community," said Jason Ramlow, Kadena's Red Cross station manager. "We are privileged to support both Kadena medical clinic and airman and family readiness center efforts in educating the public of available health services."

Within the Red Cross, SAF is a mixture of both tradition and innovation. Red Cross continues to provide traditional support to military families, serve in military and veterans hospitals, and conduct emergency communication. However, they continually adapt the military's traditional services and create new programs to meet the needs of today's military members, veterans and their families.

To meet the SAF and Red Cross mission here, the station supports the Kadena medical clinic and the Airman and family readiness center by funding the clinic's base newcomers' refrigerator magnet program.

"When families (permanent change of station) to Kadena, our goal is to provide the easiest access to critical medical numbers and websites," said Col. Barbara King, 18th Medical Group commander. "Partnering with the Red Cross and the Airman and family readiness center allowed us to do just that."

The program's goal is to provide quick reference, health-care related customer information for newly arriving active duty, family members and civilians.

"Knowing where to go for medical attention is essential in an overseas locale and a part of settling into the fabric of a new community," said Carla Diamond, Kadena Airman and Family Readiness Center chief. "The newcomers' orientation offers resources and tools that support a quick adaptation to Kadena. This magnet has just made it much easier for all of us to take better care of, people especially our newcomers."

The Red Cross serves 1.4 million active-duty military members, 800,000 National Guard and Reserve members, 24 million veterans and 3 million family members. To deliver services to this large population, the Red Cross brings to bear nearly 600 Red Cross chapter in communities across the U.S.; thousands of volunteers on military installations around the world; four emergency call centers that operate 24/7; and offices in Afghanistan, Kuwait, and Djibouti to support troops deployed throughout the Central Command area of responsibility.