Posted on 04/22/2004 10:51:14 AM PDT by Lacey
The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is now authorized to sell prepaid calling cards to any individual, company or organization that wishes to purchase cards for troops who are deployed.
Up until now, those wishing to lend a helping hand had no other alternative but to purchase other retailer's prepaid cards that, in many cases, were not designed for affordable international calling in deployed areas.
Now, anyone (even those not in the military) can help troops in contingency operations call home from one of the many AAFES call centers in Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF).
Many of the prepaid cards available to the general public from retailers other than AAFES offer much higher rates and connection charges. For service members to receive the best calling rates from OIF/OEF, senders should take advantage of the savings and purchase the Military Exchange 550 Unit Prepaid Card as it offers the best value when calling home with minutes that never expire and no hidden charges or connection fees.
Helping service members stay in touch with friends and family has never been easier. Anyone can log on to www.aafes.com and click the "Help our Troops Call Home" link. From there, those wishing to pay for troops to call home can send a prepaid calling card to an individual at his or her deployed address or to "any service member" deployed or hospitalized. AAFES will coordinate distribution of donated cards addressed to "any service member" via the American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society or the Fisher House Foundation.
Should someone wish to make a bulk purchase of more than 100 cards, they can contact Ms. Lisa Lamers at 214-312-3978 or lamersl@aafes.com.
Individuals, organizations and companies can further extend support to deployed troops with a "Gifts From the Homefront" gift certificate. This innovative initiative allows anyone to help deployed troops purchase merchandise in one of 54 contingency stores. "Gifts from the Homefront" can also be purchased 24 hours a day by logging on to www.aafes.com or by calling 877-770-4438, seven days a week, every day of the year. From there, the "Gifts From the Homefront" can also be sent to an individual service member (designated by the purchaser) or distributed to "any service member" through the American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society or Fisher House.
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