Air Force relocated people in the midst of major crisis

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Melissa Dearstone
  • 75th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Recently Hill Air Force Base has been able to help 24 families who were affected by the events that have taken place in Japan, Egypt and Mexico by using the Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System.

AFPAAS is a standardized method for the Air Force to account, manage and monitor the recovery and reconstitution process for personnel, both military and civilian, and their families in the event of major crises.

"Most of the time, the crises are natural disasters but it can be manmade disasters as well, for example, a conflict where regions become unstable," said Tom Badman, Airman and Family Readiness Center director.

The AFPAAS system provides valuable information, taken from the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, to all levels of the Air Force chain of command, allowing commanders to make strategic decisions.

"It is extremely important that Air Force personnel have their DEERS information up to date because that is the information that AFPAAS pulls from," said Badman. "It also has the member's designated safe haven, which is a place they have selected to be transported to given a major catastrophe has occurred and family members need to be evacuated."

Master Sgt. Terri Davis, A&FRC non-commissioned officer in charge, said that in the event that you are a married military-to-military couple with dependents or single with dependents, the safe haven you have designated would be where your points of contact in the United States would be able to reconnect you with your families.

"Once the families arrive to their safe haven, they check in with their A&FRC and the personnel there will help them with any special needs they may have," said Davis.

When the evacuated area is deemed safe again, the family is then able to return to the duty station the family's sponsor is assigned.

To review or update the current information listed in AFPAAS, visit https://afpaas.af.mil, or log on to the Air Force Portal with the common access card and click on the AFPAAS link listed on the left hand side of the website.