Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, CEO of the Air Force Aid Society, and his wife, Dinah Thomas, visit with airmen May 30, 2025, at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. The charity expanded its support to airmen, guardians and their families, with financial assistance now available for needs in a host of new categories. ( Katelynn Jackson/U.S. Air Force)
Mental health counseling, domestic violence relocation and immigration fees are now among the expenses covered by Air Force Aid Society financial assistance programs.
The nonprofit relief organization this month added nine categories to the list of needs for which airmen, guardians and their families can seek interest-free loans or grants in a pinch, an agency statement Monday said.
The other new ones are adoption fees, overseas car rental, basic furniture for new households, child car seat and booster seat stipends, essential home repairs and vehicle shipment costs during assignment moves.
The expanded support reflects current needs and was made in response to feedback from families and front-line support agencies, the organization said.
“We’re evolving to meet the real-life challenges our members face so they can stay focused on the mission,” the society’s chief of staff, retired Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, said in a statement.
The organization did not say why the various categories were added. But a Rand Corp. study in 2024 found that many service members avoid needed mental health treatment through military providers out of fear it would harm their careers.
The cost of seeking more confidential care off base also can be a barrier, according to the study.
Domestic violence relocation support is intended to help service members and their spouses leave abusive partners by providing them with immediate funds. The Army Emergency Relief Fund began offering a similar assistance program in November.
Survivors of abuse cited financial dependence on their abuser as the most common barrier to reporting, a 2021 audit by the Government Accountability Office found.
They also listed transitional compensation as the most needed resource that was unavailable to them at their installation.
Other changes by the agency include merging all assistance requests into one simplified application, whether the person requesting aid qualifies for a no-interest loan or a grant.
Created in 1942, the society is considered the official charity of the Air Force and Space Force. It provides financial help so applicants can pay for such things as medical bills, car repairs, funeral expenses or veterinary care.
Active-duty Air Force and Space Force personnel, Air Force guardsmen and reservists as well as retirees, surviving spouses and family members are eligible for agency assistance, as are the dependents of personnel who died on active duty or while retired.
Applicants can go to www.afas.org and click “request assistance” or visit the on-base Military and Family Readiness Center. Applications may require supporting documents, including a budget worksheet to assess need.
The Air Force Aid Society streamlined its application process for financial assistance and broadened its list of eligible areas of need, meaning airmen, guardians and their families can seek help covering a number of other expenses. (Facebook/Air Force Aid Society)
