The Service Tree lists all services in "branched" groups, starting with the very general and moving to the very specific. Click on the name of any group name to see the sub-groups available within it. Click on a service code to see its details and the providers who offer that service.
Military Service
Armed Forces Emergency Services
Programs operated by organizations such as the American Red Cross that help military personnel stay in touch with their families following the birth of a child, the death or serious illness of a family member or other family emergency.
Military Family Service/Support Centers
Programs located at military installations throughout the world that handle inquiries from military personnel, retirees, reservists and their family members, do an assessment of their needs and refer them to sources of help available at the installation or in the local community. The centers may provide relocation assistance, transition assistance, family life programs (e.g., parenting, stress management), individual and family counseling, employment assistance, and financial management services as well as emergency assistance.
Programs established by each of the branches of the armed forces that provide information about careers in the military and enlist people who choose to volunteer. There are three entry points to the military: military recruitment offices; Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) programs in colleges and universities; and the U.S. military academies which provide military training in addition to their undergraduate academic and NCAA athletics programs for young people who receive an appointment. The military academies include West Point, The U.S. Naval Academy (Annapolis) and the U.S. Air Force Academy as well as the U.S. Coast Guard Academy which is under the Department of Homeland Security. Graduates of the U.S. military academies and juniors and seniors in ROTC programs as well as freshmen and sophomore students who have accepted a scholarship are under contractual obligation to the military and become officers when they complete their programs. Freshmen and sophomores not under scholarship are not officially in the military but must make a decision before their junior year to sign a contract or drop the ROTC program.
The U.S. military includes five active duty service components and their respective Guard and Reserve units. All branches are equal parts of the United States Uniformed Services, headed by the President as Commander-in-Chief. The Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force fall under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense (DoD). The Coast Guard reports to the Department of Homeland Security during peacetime and to the DoD (by way of the Navy) during wartime. Reserve and National Guard units perform as active-duty service members on a part-time basis. These troops train close to home, deploying when needed to aid in international conflict or domestic disaster relief.
Military Transition Assistance Programs
Programs that provide guidance and information regarding benefits, services and outplacement assistance for active duty separtees and retirees and their family members returning to civilian life with the objective of making the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible. Services may include benefits counseling, employment search and placement assistance, relocation services, financial planning assistance, eligibility information regarding medical and dental insurance coverage and other forms of assistance to facilitate adjustment to civilian life. Special employment transition assistance includes certification of job skills and experience; information about applying active duty job skills and experience to private sector employment; information about geographic areas of relocation including the labor market and cost of living; identification and location of employment and training opportunities; instruction in resume preparation, job analysis and interview techniques; and information about loans and grants to facilitate acquisition of employment. Also included are programs that help National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated for deployment resolve issues pertaining to duty requirements and employment benefits.
Social Services for Military Personnel
Public or private organizations like the USO that provide adjunctive supportive services for military personnel throughout the world which may include information, opportunities for recreation and socialization, entertainment, emergency leave assistance, lost baggage assistance, travel information, visa and passport assistance and rest facilities for individuals in transit.