Given the well-intended messaging we read and hear about “one Army,” the inequities between the active and reserve components persist.

Recently, we learned from an Army Reserve official about one such inequity, likely dating – as many of these outrages do – from the old “Strategic Reserve” days when the RC was an afterthought in the minds of policymakers and pentagon leaders.

The Army Emergency Relief program provides loans and grants to soldiers who can prove a need. While applications go through the chain of command, AER is a non-DoD not-for-profit organization. AER describes itself as the “official nonprofit of the U.S. Army.”

ROA is working to improve the policies and regulations addressing AER loans to members of the Reserve Components:

Point of outrage: a soldier must be on continuous Title 10 orders for 30 or more days to qualify for a loan. The Army Reserve official described the tragedy of an Army Reserve soldier on shorter duty who needed just $400 to help with an emergency; despite the Army Reserve’s entreaties for an exception to policy, AER refused.

One less outrage: In May, ROA Executive Director Jeffrey E. Phillips wrote the Army Vice Chief of Staff describing the problem and asked for his help. Phillips also engaged a member of the AER board of advisors on the issue.

In early September, ROA learned that in connection with the reported concern, AER established a working group to explore changes to its regulations and policies as they apply to soldiers in the Army Reserve.

In a follow up, Phillips requested from the Army Vice Chief of Staff that the Army Reserve have representation in the working group, which is now being coordinated.

ROA thanks the Army for taking action!