Casualty Assistance Resources for Military Leaders

Military leaders have comprehensive casualty assistance resources readily available to assist military family members in their time of need.  Leaders should be aware of these vital resources and highlight them during unit readiness briefs and command sponsored orientations or indoctrinations.  In many cases, some simple administrative preparations can make a very difficult time less stressful.

Casualty assistance services range from simple telephonic communication with an injured service member's family to informing a family that their service member has died.  Regardless of the situation, commanders must ensure that any form of casualty assistance is provided with compassion and respect.

Casualty Assistance Officers (Army and Air Force) and Casualty Assistance Call Officers (Navy and Marine Corps) act on behalf of the Service and command in assisting family members who have lost a service member.  They are responsible for notifying families of deaths and for providing general information regarding benefits and entitlements.  They also refer families to a variety of resources through which they can receive more detailed information about benefits and the process of applying for benefits and entitlements.

Military OneSource   This site provides information and resources to help balance work and family life. Consultants are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by phone, online, or via email offering personalized support to any service or family member.  Military OneSource can connect individuals with a trained, state-licensed mental health professional in the community, telephonically, or online for confidential/private counseling.  All active duty members, Guard and Reserve members, and their family members are eligible for this benefit.

Military OneSource offers twelve in-person counseling sessions per person, per issue.  Consultants are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week by phone, online, or via email to provide support and resource information to service members and their families or to surviving spouses, parents, and children of deceased service members.  To contact Military OneSource by phone, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, call Stateside at 1-800-342-9647. The Military OneSource website lists specific dialing information for other countries.

Family Support Centers located on military installations, both in the continental United States and overseas, provide a wide variety of support services for families.  The needs of survivors vary and Family Support Center personnel can help identify needs and assist in accessing appropriate services and resources.  Contact information for Family Support Centers can be found on most installation home pages and are also accessible through MilitaryINSTALLATIONS.

Chaplains can also provide support services at the installation level to injured service members or to survivors of deceased service members.  They provide emotional and spiritual support and are often able to provide referral information to appropriate resources on the installation and in the civilian community.

The additional resources listed below address a number of topics related to casualty assistance.  Commanders should review these websites and encourage their casualty assistance representatives to be familiar with their content. 

• Links to Branch Support Services
• Links to Additional Resources