Photo By Staff Sgt. Stanford Toran | Command Sgt. Major Alejandro Roman, garrison senior advisor with U.S. Army Garrison...... read more read more
POZNAN, Poland- Army Emergency Relief CEO, retired Sgt. Maj. of the Army Tony Griston, visits U.S. Army Garrison Poland to kick off the annual AER fundraising campaign on March 2, 2026. This visit highlights the growing capabilities in Poland as the home of the first new AER section in decades.
The Army Emergency Relief’s purpose is to improve the quality of life and strengthen the resilience of Soldiers and their Families through financial assistance and education. As financial readiness is a key component of Soldiers personal readiness, it focuses on providing services and programs that take care of the Army’s most valuable asset, Soldiers. This year’s campaign motto is “Empowering Soldiers, Enhancing Lives.”
AER is a non-profit organization this year marks AER’s 84th year of financial commitment to Soldiers and their families.
The campaign runs from March 1 through June 14, ending on the Army’s 251st birthday. This year’s goals are to ensure 100percent of Soldiers are informed about the assistance programs available to them.
Last year’s campaign supported more than 31,000 Soldiers and families with 15 percent active-duty participation and $2.6 million in donations.
Contributions to AER assist active-duty Soldiers and their families, retirees and their family members, and surviving spouses or orphans of Soldiers who died while on active duty.
While a program has long supported Army Reserve Soldiers on Title 10 orders for more than 30 consecutive days, a new pilot program now provides assistance to U.S. Army Reserve Soldiers on orders for less than 30 days. The new pilot does not yet include the National Guard, outside of the current stipulations.
Army Emergency Relief not only provides for financial hardship, but it also provides for many different areas of support. One can apply for education scholarships, medical co-pay, visa & passport fees, and many others.
“This means a lot to USAG Poland, codifying that the garrison is fully operational”, said Grinston. “You have a lot of Soldiers here and with a large population of Soldiers is a large need.”
As USAG Poland continues to expand, AER provides financial stability as new civilians and service members continue to PCS. This function demonstrates that the Army’s home on the Eastern Flank is leaving a permanent mark for the military community.
“This program is here for you to use,” said Command Sgt. Major Alejandro Romar, senior enlisted advisor for USAG Poland. “As your garrison leader, please reach out to your support channel so we can assist you if experiencing financial hardship.”
To further the Army Emergency Relief Campaign, the team hosted an outreach event at a dining facility at the garrison installation site Powidz for lunch to meet with service members and the local community to discuss more upcoming events in the immediate future.
For more information on AER, available services, and how you can support, Soldiers can visit https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/ or contact their local AER representative.
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| Date Taken: | 03.02.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.05.2026 12:54 |
| Story ID: | 559302 |
| Location: | POZNAN, PL |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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