thedrifter
11-25-08, 07:22 AM
Answer call of troops with phone card plan
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, November 24th 2008, 11:45 PM
Help the troops call home for the holidays this season by sending them a prepaid phone card.
AAFES, the Defense Department's store for military members, is offering discount calling cards for deployed soldiers to call home during the holidays.
"Help Our Troops Call Home" lets civilians buy prepaid calling cards at the military's discounted rate.
AT&T has teamed with AAFES to offer calls from Iraq and Afghanistan at just 19 cents a minute - a huge savings from regular rates, which can be as high as 56 cents a minute.
RELATED: MAIL FOR MENDING GIs SWAMPS WALTER REED
"If you want to send a phone card, the is the most economical way to do it," AAFES spokesman Lt. Col. William Thurmond said.
Soldiers get a limited amount of free calling time from the battlefield and most have access to e-mail. Still, there's nothing like hearing a loved one's voice on the other end of the line.
"This isn't a substitute for being home for the holidays, but it's a good option," Thurmond said.
Thurmond, who served in Iraq in 2003-04, said calling home for Christmas made a big difference.
"It brought me to where I could make it through the day," he said.
If you don't know of a particular soldier or unit to send a card to, just address the phone card to "Any Service Member."
AAFES will help distribute the cards through the USO, American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society, Fisher House Foundation, Navy-Marines Corps Relief Society and the Soldier & Family Assistance Center.
AAFES also lets civilians buy AAFES gift cards for deployed soldiers for the first time.
The troops can use the cards at one of about 60 stores on U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan to buy all kinds of products.
To buy a prepaid calling card or a gift card, log on to www.aafes.org or call 800-527-2345.
sgaskell@nydailynews.com
Ellie
BY STEPHANIE GASKELL
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Monday, November 24th 2008, 11:45 PM
Help the troops call home for the holidays this season by sending them a prepaid phone card.
AAFES, the Defense Department's store for military members, is offering discount calling cards for deployed soldiers to call home during the holidays.
"Help Our Troops Call Home" lets civilians buy prepaid calling cards at the military's discounted rate.
AT&T has teamed with AAFES to offer calls from Iraq and Afghanistan at just 19 cents a minute - a huge savings from regular rates, which can be as high as 56 cents a minute.
RELATED: MAIL FOR MENDING GIs SWAMPS WALTER REED
"If you want to send a phone card, the is the most economical way to do it," AAFES spokesman Lt. Col. William Thurmond said.
Soldiers get a limited amount of free calling time from the battlefield and most have access to e-mail. Still, there's nothing like hearing a loved one's voice on the other end of the line.
"This isn't a substitute for being home for the holidays, but it's a good option," Thurmond said.
Thurmond, who served in Iraq in 2003-04, said calling home for Christmas made a big difference.
"It brought me to where I could make it through the day," he said.
If you don't know of a particular soldier or unit to send a card to, just address the phone card to "Any Service Member."
AAFES will help distribute the cards through the USO, American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society, Fisher House Foundation, Navy-Marines Corps Relief Society and the Soldier & Family Assistance Center.
AAFES also lets civilians buy AAFES gift cards for deployed soldiers for the first time.
The troops can use the cards at one of about 60 stores on U.S. bases in Iraq and Afghanistan to buy all kinds of products.
To buy a prepaid calling card or a gift card, log on to www.aafes.org or call 800-527-2345.
sgaskell@nydailynews.com
Ellie