Tony Grinston, CEO of Military Emergency Reduction and the sixteenth Sergeant Main of the Military, talks with troopers new to Fort Cavazos, Texas, earlier than consuming on the set up’s OIF Eating Facility on April 22, 2024. Grinston was at Fort Cavazos for the primary time after taking the lead of the U.S. Military’s official nonprofit in January to speak about management and the group’s position in offering monetary help to troopers, retired troopers and Military households. (Amanda Kim Stairrett/Military Emergency Reduction)
AUSTIN, Texas — Tony Grinston might have retired from the Military because the service’s high enlisted member, but in his new job as CEO of Military Emergency Reduction, he’s nonetheless bettering the lives of troopers.
He’s been on the street since taking the job 4 months in the past to go to Military bases and talk about AER, which supplies interest-free loans and grants to troopers in emergency conditions and people needing assist with prices for issues resembling healthcare that fall outdoors of army medical health insurance, funeral bills, house restore or partner licensing and recertification. It will probably additionally assist troopers receive little one automobile seats, clothes and little one care. All help is taken into account on a person foundation and 5.5% of service members obtained help final yr.
“While you hear a couple of soldier who stopped with the ability to pay their lease as a result of they’re taking good care of a member of the family — yeah, after all we’re going to assist them out,” he stated throughout an interview this month whereas visiting Military Futures Command in Austin, Texas. “Not everyone will get to discover a objective of their life after the army. I discovered my objective.”
Whereas Grinston’s journeys are to boost consciousness of the help out there via AER, it’s additionally not directly about elevating extra funds, which may assist Grinston’s pitch to the nonprofit’s board to transition extra of the cash AER provides to troopers as grants as a substitute of loans that have to be repaid. Simply 6.5% of troopers donated to AER final yr.
Grinston additionally desires to develop the help AER provides to Military Reserve troopers. Proper now, these troopers solely qualify once they’ve been on federal orders for at the very least 30 days.
Grinston is particularly centered on emergency journey grants which might be given to troopers who have to journey for an emergency household scenario resembling a medical disaster or dying. Proper now, troopers are required to pay again half of the quantity they obtain.
Tony Grinston, CEO of Military Emergency Reduction and the sixteenth Sergeant Main of the Military, reacts April 25, 2024, to watching a video created by Sgt. 1st Class Latoya Greene, a content material creator stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas. Grinston attended a bunch exercise {and professional} growth session led by Greene for troopers of the twentieth Engineer Battalion. (Amanda Kim Stairrett/Military Emergency Reduction)
AER stated it dealt with 5,500 emergency journey circumstances final yr for a complete price of $5.5 million.
The quantity supplied can differ enormously, Grinston stated. For instance, airfare to get a soldier, partner and kids again to the U.S. from Germany following a dying within the household is way dearer however simply as vital as serving to a single soldier drive house in an identical scenario.
Touring a few years in the past within the wake of his personal mom’s dying led Grinston to push for the change, he stated. As he and household have been returning to Washington from Alabama, dangerous climate stranded them in Atlanta, forcing them to get a resort.
“Think about a younger Military household simply racking up the payments and placing it on a bank card. That is a type of classes that I’d actually, actually wish to develop and simply do extra,” he stated.
Final yr AER obtained greater than $2.2 million in donations and was in a position to present troopers $5.78 for each greenback donated. It complete, troopers obtained greater than $38.6 million in loans, $7.8 million in grants and the group supplied $5.2 million in scholarships.
Grinston additionally plans to hunt approval from the nonprofit’s board to develop entry to Reserve troopers no matter orders.
“Why don’t we simply make {that a} group that we assist?” he stated.
Down the street, he’d wish to develop to the Guard, however Grinston famous many states have applications much like AER to assist out Guard members once they want monetary assist whereas on state orders.
“I can’t be on the market [in the Army] anymore. I’m a bit too outdated, however I’m nonetheless prepared if the Military wants me,” he stated. “No less than I can by some means, a way make it possible for if [soldiers] are going via a troublesome time, we may also help them out with that.”
