by Carolyn Alston
Parents are finding empty shelves on the baby supplies aisle in the grocery store where the infant formula is usually stocked. It's no secret there's a shortage of infant formula. It has become a national concern as families are scrambling to find available formula across the country, but some relief is now available for Soldiers and their Families.
Army Emergency Relief (AER) is ready to give assistance and guidance to military parents in need. While TRICARE will only cover formula and vitamins for enrolled infants with metabolic disorders, AER will assist eligible Soldiers and their Families with the shipping costs to obtain regular infant formula for babies who are otherwise healthy. Those eligible for formula shipping assistance include:
- Soldiers on Active Duty and their eligible Family Members
- Soldiers Retired from Active Duty because of longevity and their eligible Family Members
- Retired Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers receiving retired pay and their Family Members
- Medically Retired Soldiers and their dependents, including both those placed on the Permanent Disability Retired List (PDRL) or Temporary Disability Retirement List (TDRL)
- Surviving Spouses and Children of Soldiers who died while on Active Duty (including those on Title 10 Orders) or in an eligible Retired status
- Members of the Reserve Component of the Army (National Guard and Army Reserve under Title 10 U.S.C) on continuous Active Duty for more than thirty (30) consecutive days and their eligible Family Members
It is important to remember that this assistance covers shipping costs only, not the cost of the formula. To find out more information about infant formula shipping assistance, please contact your local AER Officer or check out the AER Bulletin Report.
Original article appeared armyemergencyrelief.org on May 26, 2022.