UNCLASSIFIED// ROUTINE R 242345Z FEB 10 BT UNCLAS PASS TO ALL OFFCE CODES FM SECNAV WASHINGTON DC TO ALNAV UNCLAS ALNAV 011/10 MSGID/GENADMIN/SECNAV WASHINGTON DC/-/FEB// REF/A/DOC/SECNAVINST 5340.7/08FEB1999// AMPN/REF A IS SECNAVINST 5340.7, ACTIVE DUTY FUND DRIVE IN SUPPORT OF THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY (NMCRS)// SUBJ/2010 ACTIVE DUTY FUND DRIVE IN SUPPORT OF THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY (NMCRS)// RMKS/1. FOR 106 YEARS, THE NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY'S (NMCRS) WORK HAS IMPROVED THE LIVES OF SAILORS, MARINES AND THEIR FAMILIES. YOUNG PARENTS GRAPPLING WITH NEW RESPONSIBILITIES, SAILORS AND MARINES STRUGGLING WITH BILLS THEY CANNOT PAY AND UNEXPECTED CAR REPAIRS, FAMILIES GRIEVING THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES, AND WIDOWS ON LIMITED INCOMES HAVE ALL BEEN TOUCHED BY THE KINDNESS, COMPASSION AND EFFICIENCY OF THIS PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT CHARITY. THROUGH IT ALL, THE SOCIETY'S ARRAY OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES HAS ASSISTED THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS IN CARING FOR OUR MOST PRECIOUS RESOURCE - OUR PEOPLE. AND AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE NMCRS EFFORTS, COUNTLESS MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS FULLY ON THEIR COMMITMENT TO PROTECT OUR NATION, KNOWING THERE IS A SAFETY NET AT HOME TO CARE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES. 2. BEGINNING MARCH 1, 2010, ACTIVE DUTY SAILORS AND MARINES WILL BE ENCOURAGED TO GIVE GENEROUSLY TO THE ACTIVE DUTY FUND DRIVE IN SUPPORT OF THE NMCRS. AT THE SAME TIME, I WILL BE COMMUNICATING DIRECTLY WITH MORE THAN 500,000 RETIRED SAILORS AND MARINES - REMINDING THEM THAT THEY, AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, REMAIN ELIGIBLE FOR FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FROM THE SOCIETY. I WILL ALSO ENCOURAGE THEM TO CONTINUE THEIR GENEROUS FINANCIAL SUPPORT OF THIS WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION. 3. THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE NMCRS OFFERS IS IN THE FORM OF INTEREST- FREE LOANS AND GRANTS. SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 1904, THE NMCRS HAS BEEN THE FIRST ORGANIZATION OUR SAILORS AND MARINES HAVE TURNED TO WHEN THEY NEED HELP. DURING THE PAST YEAR, THE NMCRS RESPONDED TO THE FINANCIAL NEEDS OF SAILORS, MARINES, AND FAMILIES 91,418 TIMES - UP 17 PERCENT FROM A YEAR AGO - AND PROVIDED OVER 47.4 MILLION DOLLARS IN INTEREST- FREE LOANS AND OUTRIGHT GRANTS. THOSE NUMBERS ARE HIGHER THAN ANYTIME SINCE 1993 WHEN THE SIZE OF OUR NAVY-MARINE CORPS TEAM WAS SIGNIFICANTLY GREATER. A. THE SOCIETY'S POPULAR QUICK ASSIST LOAN (QAL) PROGRAM, DESIGNED FOR SAILORS AND MARINES WHO NEED JUST A LITTLE HELP, ACCOUNTED FOR NEARLY HALF THE CASEWORK AND ONE-FOURTH OF ALL THE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY THE SOCIETY IN 2009. THE QAL PROGRAM PROVIDES AN ALTERNATIVE TO HIGH INTEREST, PREDATORY LENDERS, AND HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS SUCCESS STORY. B. THE SOCIETY'S 48 REGISTERED VISITING NURSES CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR WOUNDED AND INJURED MARINES, SAILORS, AND THEIR FAMILIES, PROVIDING LONG TERM CASE MANAGEMENT FOR AS LONG AS NEEDED. THESE NURSES MAKE FACE-TO-FACE CONTACT WITH THE INJURED AND THEIR FAMILIES WHILE THEY ARE BEING TREATED IN MILITARY MEDICAL FACILITIES, THEN REMAIN IN CLOSE PERSONAL CONTACT FOLLOWING THEIR RECOVERY OR DISCHARGE, TRAVELING ANYWHERE IN THE UNITED STATES TO MAKE PERSONAL HOUSE CALLS. THEY CURRENTLY FOLLOW MORE THAN 750 SERVICE MEMBERS INJURED IN IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN AND THE ARABIAN GULF AND MADE 9,338 CONTACTS OVER THE LAST 12 MONTHS WITH THIS IMPORTANT SEGMENT OF OUR SEA SERVICE POPULATION. 4. NMCRS HAS ALWAYS HAD A SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH SAILORS AND MARINES. YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS ARE THE PRIMARY FUNDING THAT ENABLES THE SOCIETY TO DELIVER HIGH QUALITY SERVICES. THE NMCRS WEB SITE AT HTTP://WWW.NMCRS.ORG SHOWS THE SCOPE AND VARIETY OF ASSISTANCE THEY OFFER AS WELL AS A COMPLETE LISTING OF OFFICE LOCATIONS, HOURS OF OPERATION, AND MORE. 5. IN 2009, YOUR GENEROSITY RESULTED IN DONATIONS OF 10.1 MILLION DOLLARS. GIVEN THE UNSTABLE ECONOMY, THAT LEVEL OF GIVING WAS COMMENDABLE. HOWEVER, ACROSS THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS, LESS THAN ONE- THIRD OF UNIFORMED MEMBERS CONTRIBUTED TO THE CAMPAIGN. I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER THIS: THIS YEAR, IF JUST 50 PERCENT OF OUR ACTIVE DUTY SAILORS AND MARINES MAKE A COMMITMENT OF 5 DOLLARS PER MONTH, THE 2010 CAMPAIGN WILL GENERATE 16 MILLION DOLLARS IN FUNDING FOR THE SOCIETY. 6. PLEASE CONTINUE THE TRADITION OF TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN BY HELPING MAKE THIS YEAR'S CAMPAIGN THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EVER. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING YOUR SHIPMATES AND FELLOW MARINES. 7. RELEASED BY RAY MABUS, SECRETARY OF THE NAVY.// BT #0001 NNNN