Veterans giving free phone cards to those serving overseas

Dick Benoit

Thursday, Oct. 3, 2002 | 8:58 a.m.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Foundation, through the Air Force Aid Society, is providing phone cards and other items to overseas service members and their families at home.

According to Air Force Staff Sgt. Todd Lopez, this is the fourth consecutive year the VFW Foundation has conducted the program, called "Operation Uplink."

"Operation Uplink has provided more than a million cards over three years to the military," program," spokesman Mike Meyer said. "This holiday season, Operation Uplink will join with Wal-Mart's Good Works Program, Hallmark and Federal Express to deliver one of these cards to every active-duty military person stationed overseas."

The phone cards should be available in family support centers and from personnel support for contingency operations, or PERSCO, teams in time for the holiday season, he said. The cards will be made available overseas through an agreement with Federal Express.

Besides phone cards, the VFW Foundation provides other items distributed to the military members and their families, such as cookies, playing cards, puzzles, books on tape, writing kits, bulletin boards, birthday candles and toys.

More for college

Starting Oct. 1 the Air Force Reserve Command has increased the maximum tuition assistance per semester for eligible service members from $187.50 to $250 per semester hour for undergraduate work, reimbursing reservists for 100 percent of the tuition cost up to $4,500 annually for education programs offered by Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support.

Last year AFRC raised the maximum annual aid for reservists from $2,500 to $3,500 and expanded tuition assistance for the DANTES distant learning program to include master's degrees.

The master's degree program will remain the same this year, with the Reserve reimbursing reservists up to 75 percent of the tuition costs. Participants may get up to $187.50 per semester hour or a maximum of $3,500 annually to complete their degrees.

The tuition assistance increase is part of the Reserve's ongoing effort to attract recruits and bolster retention.

In brief

Whippo, the son of Tyrone and Michael Whippo of Las Vegas, learned about the automated maintenance system, aircraft inspection, radio operations and how to launch and recover and service aircraft including engine oil, engine starter and aircraft fueling.

Foster, the son of Cathy Jenkins of Las Vegas, trained to configure, align, operate and perform maintenance on microwave communications and technical control equipment.

Aldrich, the son of Patti Kitchen of Henderson and James Aldrich of Las Vegas, is majoring in aeronautical science at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Prescott, Ariz., and serves in the Army National Guard.