[ASOC]

Mom worksregular, know hours/days.

Company has a well-known safety policy.

Son should be aware of moms hours, Mom should follow safety rules.

A flexible boss COULD allow a “open” break time for mom to take if the phone rings... Son could leave a message on his OKness.

As for the other, when I was deployed in SEA, letters and the odd MARS call seemed to work.

Hope she is such a hot-shot worker that she has something else lined up. Cause there a LOT of people that would love to have that “shit job” as another poster opined - and they would follow the safety rules, eh?.

[Wiser now]

The company employee is granted immediate break time to take the call. Problem solved.
BTW, the Marine’s opportunity to use the phone cannot be made dependent on mom’s work hours.

[ataDude]

I want to say “You suck...” but I won’t.

[SandRat]

Sadly the MARS Network has been almost completely dismantled.

[cva66snipe]

The phone service is for the troops morale as much as anything. The system he was on was to use only when there was an opportunity when it was there once a month. BTW even deployed for a six month cruise we were able to call home when we hit port which was quite a bit. That was during the mid to late 1970's. Usually it was at a USO but I was able to actually place calls home from Venice Italy from phone booths on the street. Sure beat the 6-8 hour sometimes wait at the USO or phone company. My guess is the wait on that phone in his units once a month availability usage was much the same. His call would have likely been very limited so what was the real harm? Nothing.

My cousin's son was stationed onboard the George Washington in the mid 2000's. He was able to use a satellite phone to call back here from the ship. Technology and times change. Today our armed forces are being asked to spend a lot more of their enlistment deployed overseas and in combat than even most persons during WW2.

I carry a cell myself these days when I leave home. It stays on till I get home. When I go into spaces that say turn them off I put it on silence and vibrate. Communication ability with my wife is a 100% must at all times. Last month I was admitted to the hospital for test. They don't even have you turn them off there anymore except in Nuclear testing or MRI enviroments. I was able to call her from the ER exam room and she was able to call ne anytime in my room after my admission. If I was still working I would still have the cell at all times.

[MayflowerMadam]

“Son should be aware of moms hours, Mom should follow safety rules.”

From the report as I heard it, his schedule is not normal, he doesn’t have typical soldier’s phone access, must use a special satellite phone, and never knows ahead of time when he’ll be able to call — and it’s only about once a month.

Imagine that he’s given the spur-of-the-moment go-aead to call his mother that month. He passes on that chance because it isn’t her lunch hour yet and waits until March. Sheesh. When it comes to our troops and thei families, a workplace could be flexible and logical. They should bend over backwards to offer whatever support they can.