Andrew Yao knows the importance of helping our nation’s military personnel and their families. As a Program Specialist with the American Red Cross Service to the Armed Forces (SAF) and International Service (IS) program, Andrew provides comfort and care to our nation’s military personnel and their families, including active duty, National Guard and Reserve and veterans in Colorado and Wyoming. But soon, he’ll be providing that comfort and care from afar.
“I think anybody should have a little bit of reservations going into something like this,” said Andrew. “It’s just a new experience. The military is a very diverse community. People from all walks of life doing the same thing; they’re all behind the same flag and I’m just looking forward to meeting and working with them.”
“It’s a big life change, but at the end of the day, it’s fun,” said Andrew. “There’s a little bit of apprehension, but overall, I’m just really excited to get there and do some good work.”
Originally from Connecticut, Andrew came to Colorado to attend the University of Colorado in Boulder. He received his degree in International Affairs with a minor in Arabic.
Andrew received guidance and advice from fellow Red Crossers who’ve deployed with SAF. Crystal Schutter and Clark Buck have also provided a lot of support to Andrew. Both have deployed to Lithuania and Romania (respectively) within the past year.
SAF mobile employees accept work assignments anywhere in the world, including conflict areas, where the American Red Cross is providing support to the Armed Forces members. Mobile staff members typically deploy for six months at a time, approximately once every 18-24 months, and can be sent to any military base in the world.
The SAF onboarding process orients new staff to their positions and their region. They must be fully trained in emergency communication casework and maintain proficiency. They must also become certified in first aid and CPR and renew it every two years. Annual training in leadership and military culture is also required.
Andrew will spend the two weeks training before leaving heading overseas. He’s expected to return to Colorado in early 2025.
All of us at the American Red Cross wish you the best in your deployment, Andrew!!
