617Dambusters

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 6:58 am**

i just found out tonight that my grandfather just past away a few days ago. and knowing some of you guys are in the military now and most of you guys were in the military before. how does this kinda stuff work with the red cross and emergency leave? i have to wait untill tommorow to give em a call so i thought i would go to u guys first. man i even had the day off from work tommorow cuz its my birthday and now look at what i gota do... what a birthday

charlie you work for the salvation army, do they work anything like the red cross?

the reason im asking is because my grandma would like me to come back and be a casket barrier, but the funeral is on monday.

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:02 am**

Your company 1st Sgt has the contact. Contact him and he'll go to S-1. You have to wait the 12-24 hrs so that it can be acknowledged by the Red Cross. Your family can also contact them directly and they can usually initiate the proceedings early.

In any case, you just have to sit on it a bit. Are you still in Korea? Anyway, sorry for your loss man.

Edit: BTW, I think it's 15 days of leave. Whether that includes travel dates or not I'm not sure. I think its the same if your on deployment or at your duty station.

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:57 am**

sorry to hear about your grandfather

ma is right... the red cross just facilitates communication and sends emergency messages and whatnot. in your case that probably means verifying the funeral. financially i don't know what they can do for you to be honest

and it's safe to say that whenever you have a problem like this, your first sergeant is gonna be there for you. even if you think he's a dick, he's got your back on stuff like this

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:52 am**

yup, go to the 1sgt, he will talk to the captain and it will go up from there. They will get you a plane and give you the aloted amount of emergency leave.

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:19 pm**

yea sniper these guys have told ya the peeps to help ya bud. Sorry for your loss my friend.

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 12:48 pm**

Sorry for your loss Sniper. You might want to work it from both ends.-- Sarg, and your parents thru the Red cross. Might expedite things. -------

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 1:03 pm**

Sorry for your loss Sniper

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 3:44 pm**

Sorry for your loss sniper. It's always harder when you are far away. Really hope you get back in time for the funeral.

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 9:27 pm**

First Shirt will help you out. Sorry about your loss. You and your family are in our thoughts and prayers.

Posted: **Thu Mar 20, 2008 11:17 pm**

Sorry for your lose Sniper.. hope you can make it home in time. Thoughts and prayers for you and your family.

Posted: **Fri Mar 21, 2008 2:38 am**

thanks for the support guys, after talking on the phone most of the day it doesnt seem that im guna be able to go back in time. when i go on leave in july we are most defiantly going up to MN

Posted: **Fri Mar 21, 2008 8:55 am**

Sorry to hear this sniper. You're not going to be able to get emergency leave for your grandfather. My grandfather died while I was in Korea on my second tour. Unless you were raised by your grandparents, emergency leave is granted only for mother, father, brother, or sister. I promised him that I would present my grandmother with his flag as he and I were the only ones on his side of the family to have served in the military. When his wife, my grandmother, died two years ago, I went to my first funeral since he passed. I have felt guilty every day since he died that I could not complete my promise to him.

Posted: **Fri Mar 21, 2008 10:28 am**

sry for your loss...Army Dont consider grandparents as immidiate family?

Posted: **Fri Mar 21, 2008 7:25 pm**

nope, unless they raised you for some amount of time