FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. — The 2026 Army Emergency Relief campaign officially kicked off March 4, with Fort Leonard Wood senior leaders signing the first donation pledges during the Community Information Forum in Lincoln Hall Auditorium.
“We definitely get more than we give to the AER program,” said Col. Steven Bartley, U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood commander.
As the U.S. Army’s official nonprofit, AER provides grants, interest-free loans and scholarships to promote readiness and help relieve any financial distress Soldiers and their families may experience.
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Leonard Wood Command Sgt. Maj. Tyler Dodd said the program was used recently by a Soldier whose vehicle broke down while their wife was pregnant.
“We were able to take care of that Soldier and get his truck fixed. Everything was good,” Dodd said.
This year’s Army-wide campaign runs through the Army’s birthday, June 14, and is themed to honor America’s 250th anniversary.
Army Community Services Financial Readiness Program Manager Chuck Matthews said Fort Leonard Wood’s goal is to raise $250,000 for America’s 250th birthday and to be the No. 1 campaign in the Army for the sixth consecutive year.
“We had 98.8% of the Soldiers donate to the campaign here at Fort Leonard Wood last year,” Matthews said. “We’re asking for 84% of Soldiers to donate this year, to coincide with AER’s 84th birthday.
According to Matthews, in 2025 AER assisted more than 32,000 Soldiers across the Army with over $56 million. And locally, 517 Soldiers were helped with more than $929,000 in assistance, a large portion of this being grants.
“AER gave additional financial assistance to Fort Leonard Wood in the form of 53 scholarships worth $126,000 awarded to military spouses and children,” Matthews said. “This totals $1,055,000 that AER gave to the Fort Leonard Wood community in 2025, and a total of $8.2 million to Fort Leonard Wood in the past eight years.”
To make the campaign successful, Matthew said people don’t need to donate a lot of money.
“If everyone donated just $5 per month, or one coffee or energy drink, we could raise more than $500,000 in 2026,” he said. “The important thing is Soldiers are aware of the help AER can provide them, and the numbers of Soldiers donating is more important than the amount they donate.”
To donate to the campaign, contact the AER office at 573.596.2595 or 3154, or visit the [Fort Leonard Wood donation site](https://give.armyemergencyrelief.org/site/TR/Events/General?company_id=1081&pg=company&fr_id=1060).
More information on AER is available at[https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/](https://www.armyemergencyrelief.org/)