Troops in Japan Have Way to Contact Family Members at Home

There are numerous ways to reach service members in Japan, according to an article in American Forces Press Service, and the American Red Cross now offers another.

After the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, Red Cross officials urge U.S. service members and families stationed there to register online to let family and friends back home know how they're doing.

They can post their status and send messages to loved ones through the "Safe and Well" website at redcross.org, according to the article.

"Hours after the earthquake and tsunami struck March 11, officials confirmed U.S. military personnel and their families were accounted for. Still, family and friends back home were seeking information," the article states.

To register for Safe and Well, people enter their name, contact information and then choose from a list of standard messages —'I am safe and well,' 'Family and I are safe and well,' or 'Currently at shelter'—or they can type a customized message, the article states.

According to the article, family and friends here at home can access the messages by entering the service member's pre-disaster phone number or complete home address. They can't, however, register themselves on the site, Red Cross officials said in the article.

Not everyone chooses to register, so try calling, texting, or check your loved one's Facebook or Twitter pages, the release states.

Read the entire article from Armed Forces Press Services for more ways to find loved ones in Japan.