Calling cards offered for troops

Dick Benoit

Thursday, May 6, 2004 | 9:03 a.m.

The Defense Department recently announced that citizens can now help troops call home. The Armed Services Exchanges may now sell prepaid calling cards to any person or group that wishes to purchase cards for troops who are deployed. The Help Our Troops Call Home program is designed to help service members call home from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.

Those wishing to donate a prepaid calling card to a military member may log on to any of the three Armed Services Exchange Web sites: the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, aafes.com; the Navy Exchange Service Command, navy-nex.com; and the Marine Corps Exchange usmc-mccs.org.

Click the Help Our Troops Call Home link. From there a prepaid calling card may be purchased for an individual at his or her deployed address or to "any service member" deployed or hospitalized. The Armed Services Exchanges will distribute cards donated to "any service member" through the American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society and the Fisher House Foundation.

The Armed Services Exchanges operate telephone call centers in Iraq, Kuwait, Afghanistan and other countries and aboard ships -- anywhere service members are deployed in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. All of these locations stay busy around the clock to keep up communication between deployed troops and their loved ones. The cards offer the best value for calls made from the centers, they never expire, and there are no added charges or connection fees.

Individuals and organizations also can show their support to deployed troops and their families with gift certificates. The "Gift of Groceries" program allows anyone to purchase commissary gift certificates at commissaries.com or by calling (877) 770-GIFT. The Armed Services Exchanges offer the "Gift From the Homefront" gift certificate for merchandise at aafes.com and navy-nex.com or by calling (877) 770-GIFT.

Gift certificates may be purchased to be mailed to service members and family members or will be distributed to "any service member." Only authorized commissary and exchange patrons may redeem the gift certificates at military commissaries and exchanges, including those stores supporting deployed personnel around the globe.

Iraq tour complete

Army Sgt. Vito Fatutoa, the son of Tina and Lopati Fatutoa of Las Vegas, has returned to the 173rd Airborne Brigade in Vicenza, Italy, after completing a deployment to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom with additional participation in Operation Northern Delay.

As a squad leader during Operation Northern Delay at Bashir Airfield, Faturo and his fellow paratroopers established the northernmost coalition offensive boundary and created a stable logistical intersecting point to allow the introduction of equipment and troops into the theater.

The operation was the largest airborne assault since World War II and forced the Iraqi army to maintain about six divisions in the area to protect their northern flank, providing strategic relief for the coalition forces advancing on Baghdad.

In brief

The 12-week course is designed to train enlisted soldiers in the installation, operation and unit maintenance of line-of-sight multichannel radio relay and multiplexing equipment used in telephone and telegraph communications systems