VFW, Navy MWR, NEXCOM Help Sailors Phone Home During Holidays

Navy News Stand ^ | Ingrid Mueller

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

VFW, Navy MWR, NEXCOM Help Sailors Phone Home During Holidays
Story Number: NNS031220-03
Release Date: 12/20/2003 1:00:00 PM

By Ingrid Mueller, Navy MWR Communications Group

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (NNS) -- Navy personnel worldwide will be able to call family and friends free of charge this holiday season. Through combined phone card projects, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Ladies Auxiliary VFW, Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Division and the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) are ensuring that each Sailor receives a prepaid calling card.

The VFW Foundation, through “Operation Uplink,” has made more than 193,000 60-minute prepaid phone cards available to Sailors based or deployed overseas. VFW has also provided 1,750 120-minute prepaid cards for Sailors serving in combat.

"Providing free Operation Uplink phone cards to the troops is both an honor and pleasure for the 2.7 million members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary VFW,” said Edward S. Banas, commander in chief of the VFW. “Without corporate partners such as Wal-Mart Good.Works, this year's holiday distribution of 700,000 phone cards (to all services) would not have been possible. It is important that our troops know they are cared about, and a free phone call home is one way we can do this."

In addition, Sailors serving in the continental United States (CONUS) and Hawaii will soon receive prepaid long-distance phone cards through a commercial sponsorship agreement between Navy MWR Division and AT&T.

“AT&T is providing 200,000 prepaid celebrity phone cards, which are being shipped by Navy MWR to Sailors for use this holiday season,” said Bill Winters, head of the Special Projects and Programs Section for Navy MWR.

“This is a fresh initiative designed to bring Sailors a special greeting for the new year. Each phone card contains a greeting from one of four celebrities whose photographs appear on the face of these cards,” added Winters.

The celebrities include Billy Blanks, founder of Tae Bo; Casey Atwood, Navy-sponsored NASCAR driver; Aaron Tippin, country music songwriter and recording artist; and Shane Battier, professional basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies. “We hope it is something we can continue to do in the future with the assistance of other celebrities,” said Winters.

“AT&T is proud to sponsor this novel Navy MWR program and very grateful to the celebrities who made the special keepsake cards possible,” said Rosemary O’Brien, general manager, AT&T Military Markets. “We know the Sailors will enjoy talking with a loved one. We hope the phone cards will continue to remind them that Navy MWR, AT&T and celebrities from a variety of fields appreciate their service.”

Sailors and Marines at sea will also receive phone cards, as NEXCOM, in conjunction with AT&T, is providing free $10 prepaid phone cards for those who are underway aboard U.S. Navy ships with AT&T Direct Ocean Service phones during December.

Ships receiving cards this year include USS Cole (DDG 67), USS Detroit (AOE 4), USS Enterprise (CVN 65), USS Germantown (LSD 42), USS Gettysburg (CG 64), USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), USS Jarrett (FFG 33), USS Nicholas (FFG 47), USS Ogden (LPD 5), USS Peleliu (LHA 5), USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), USS Port Royal (CG 73), USS Stout (DDG 55) and USS Thorn (DD 988).

For related news, visit the Navy Morale, Welfare and Recreation Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navymwr

Related Stories:
NEXCOM, AT&T Offer Free Phone Cards To Sailors, Marines Underway - 11/19/2003
Navy MWR, AT&T Provide Phone Cards to San Diego Sailors  - 11/17/2003

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Navy personnel worldwide will be able to call family and friends free of charge this holiday season. Through combined phone card projects, the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Ladies Auxiliary VFW, Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Division and the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) are ensuring that each Sailor receives a prepaid calling card.

The VFW Foundation, through “Operation Uplink,” has made more than 193,000 60-minute prepaid phone cards available to Sailors based or deployed overseas. VFW has also provided 1,750 120-minute prepaid cards for Sailors serving in combat.

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[blackie]

VFW, Navy MWR, NEXCOM Help Sailors Phone Home During Holidays ~ Bump!

[MJY1288]

:-) Great News

Ragtime Cowgirl, I want to wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Your relentless effort in posting the pro-american news is greatly appreciated by me and many others here at FR.

God Bless You, and Merry Christmas

[MEG33]

MJY said it well.God Bless and Merry Christmas .

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Bless you, both! Getting out the war news at FR is a team effort....and will be even moreso in the coming months. If either of you want to monitor a websight for good news posts, let me know. Pings are valuable, too ~ and sharing the news with non-Freepers. Thank you! (^:

Can you tell I am happy to be posting for my fellow Freepers, lurkers and our awesome troops today? Lol.

[MEG33]

Now if I can get DOD,Calpernia,Cent com Ragtime,xzins,Stars and Stripes and misc. in the brain or was it?...LOL

[onyx]

Bless you both for your invaluable posts.

I wish you and everyone else here a most Blessed and Merry Christmas.

Continued prayers and gratitude for our brave troops and their loved ones.

[radu]

This a wonderful thing the Veterans of Foreign Wars, Ladies Auxiliary VFW, Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Division and the Navy Exchange Service Command have done. At least the troops can spend a little time with their loved ones at home via the phone. It will mean a lot to them.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

Peace and joy to you and yours, onyx. Merry Christmas! (^:

[Alamo-Girl]

Bump!

[windchime]

Bump!