Calling Information for the Veterans/Military Crisis Line
As the Department continues to encourage and promote help-seeking among our Service members and their families, we must ensure they have access to the most up to date information and resources. Toward this effort, updated calling information for outside the continental United Status (OCONUS) access to the Veterans/Military Crisis Line (VCL/MCL) shall be widely disseminated from the Pentagon down to the individual unit level as outlined below. These OCONUS numbers have been expanded to service Command areas, which enables broader access to support services for Service members, their families, and the greater military community in our overseas locations.
To ensure broader access to supports, the VCL/MCL has created the following specific geographical region/command contact numbers that should be disseminated widely:
• Northern Command: Dial 988 then Press 1
• Indo-Pacific Command: Call +1 844-702-5493 (off base) or DSN 988 (on base)
• European Command: Call +1 844-702-5495 (off base) or DSN 988 (on base)
• Central Command: Call +1 855-422-7719 (off base) or DSN 988 (on base)
• Africa Command: Call +1 888-482-6054 (off base) or DSN 988 (on base)
• Southern Command: Call+ 1 866-989-9599 (off base) or DSN 988 (on base)
Information can be found at https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help- now/military-crisis-line/
For Service members, veterans, and their families returning from OCONUS (outside the continental United States), the following VCL/MCL CONUS access is available. Please verify that your continental United States (CONUS) processes and procedures are up to date:
• Call: 988 and press 1
• Visit: https://www.veteranscrisisline.net
• Chat: Text with a Crisis Line responder - Send a text message to 838255 or through https://www.veteranscrisisline.net/get-help-now/chat/
Finally, the 988 Lifeline is a national network of local crisis centers that provides free and confidential emotional support to people in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in the United States, and can be contacted using the below:
• Call: 988 or 1-800-273-TALK (8255)
• Visit: https://988lifeline.org/
• Chat: Text with a Crisis Line responder - Send a text message to 838255