RED-S Currency

What RED-S Holds

Record of Emergency Data captures.

• Primary next of kin (PNOK).
• Secondary next of kin (SNOK).
• Person to be notified in case of emergency.
• Beneficiary information (when overlapping with SGLI).
• Designated contact data.

The casualty assistance system reads RED-S to identify family in crisis. Emergency leave processing reads RED-S to verify the Marine's connection to the affected family member.

When to Trigger an Update

Coach the Marine to update RED-S after.

• Marriage.
• Divorce.
• Birth or adoption.
• Death of a designated contact.
• Estrangement from a designated contact.
• Move of any designated contact.
• Major change in relationship to a designated contact.

The trigger creates a 30-day window for the Marine to submit the update.

Where the Marine Updates

Active component Marines update on Marine Online. Reserve component on NSIPS.

• Marine logs in.
• Pulls current RED-S.
• Updates the affected fields.
• Submits.
• Section verifies the update landed.

The submission is the Marine's responsibility. The verification is yours.

What a Stale RED-S Costs

A Marine deploys with stale RED-S.

• Casualty notification goes to a former spouse or estranged contact.
• The actual family hears second-hand through unofficial channels.
• Emergency leave for an actual emergency runs slow because the verification chain pulls from outdated contact data.

A Marine in crisis at home with stale RED-S has the section's communication chain unable to reach the right person.

Annual Counseling Touch

During each annual counseling session, ask the Marine.

• When did you last update RED-S?
• Have any life events occurred since the last update?
• Are your designated contacts still the right people?
• Are their addresses and phone numbers current?

A Marine who updated RED-S three years ago needs an update right now if any of the above answers shifted.

After Every PCS

PCS cycles often disrupt RED-S currency.

• New duty station drives different unit communication chains.
• Family contacts may have moved with the Marine or stayed behind.
• Custodial arrangements may have changed if a divorce was involved.

Verify RED-S inside the first 90 days at the new section.

Briefing the Marine on Consequences

A Marine who treats RED-S as paperwork drill misses the stakes. Brief the consequences.

• Casualty notification depends on RED-S accuracy.
• Emergency leave verification depends on RED-S accuracy.
• Family communication during deployment depends on RED-S accuracy.
• The Marine's family experiences the consequences if RED-S is wrong.

Section Tracker

Update at every counseling cycle.

Common RED-S Failures

• Marine updates SGLI after a marriage but forgets RED-S.
• Section assumes RED-S is current because nothing recent changed.
• Updated on paper but the system entry never landed.
• After divorce, ex-spouse remains as PNOK.
• After a parent's death, the deceased remains as PNOK.

Where to Go Next

• Family readiness audit for the broader family-data check.
• Life events coaching for the trigger-based updates.
• Counseling cadence for the annual touch point.