GENERAL

This policy is applicable to all personnel who are employed by Army Emergency Relief or who act in an official capacity for the organization as a member of the Board of Managers or as an AER Officer/Assistant AERO at an installation.

Army Emergency Relief is the steward of soldiers’ money.  As such, each individual involved with this organization is called upon to contribute his or her time, talents, and energy in a way that insures the accomplishment of this mission and the safeguarding of funds entrusted to their care.  Each individual has a fiduciary responsibility to the soldiers of the U.S. Army that cannot be delegated, ignored, or abrogated.

Likewise, each individual has a moral and ethical responsibility to the soldier and his/her family members.  Personnel working with/for AER encounter Army soldiers and their family members in the normal course of daily activities.  These soldiers and family members have a right to expect and to receive the highest quality service, respect, and fairness possible.  It is incumbent upon each employee to insure the sanctity of the soldiers that are entrusted to their care as they perform their AER duties.

Finally, each AER employee has a responsibility to treat fellow employees in the same manner which they would like to be treated.

PRINCIPLES

Treatment of Others:

Ensure that all persons which whom you have encounters, are given objectivity, fairness, and equal treatment, regardless of sex, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, or military status. 

Your goal should be to completely answer/resolve the situation with which you are presented.  If the situation were not important to the other person, they would not have contacted you about it.

Conflict of Interest:

AER associates should not be involved in approving actions that affect themselves personally, affect a member of their family, or affects other personal considerations.  This encompasses decisions regarding emergency assistance cases, contractual actions, receipt and dispersal of funds, decision-making, and personnel actions.  Additionally, AER employees should not have outside employment which conflicts in any way with their AER employment.

Integrity and Fiduciary Responsibilities:

 Proper safeguarding soldiers’ money extends beyond the actual funds entrusted to your care; these responsibilities also include the equipment and supplies provided for your work.  Diverting money, equipment, supplies, or services to your personal use or benefit is an illegal act.

Confidentiality and Privacy of Information:

AER associates have access to a significant amount of private and sensitive personal information.  This information has been provided to enable AER to better accomplish its mission and to provide better service to the soldiers and their families.  As such, this information is the responsibility of AER to safeguard.  Each employee will insure that they do not share, give, sell, or otherwise transfer personal information of any soldier to anyone not directly connected with AER in the direct performance of the AER mission.

VIOLATIONS

Any person associated with Army Emergency Relief, in any capacity, has the duty and responsibility to correct any violations of this ethics policy.  If corrections of violations are beyond the capability of the person observing the misconduct, fraud, or abuse, that person has the responsibility to report the violation to AER Management.  Any person reporting violations of this policy is protected by the AER Whistleblower Protection Policy. 

Reports of misconduct, fraud, and abuse can be made directly to AER Management at AER Headquarters, or be reported anonymously to the AER report hotline at 1-877-874-8416 or electronically at https://aer.silentwhistle.com.