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California soldiers serving in Middle East hot spots are getting a special gift from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver: prepaid phone service home. California National Guard members stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq are getting up to 66 minutes of free phone time, paid for by contributions from private citizens and corporations and organized by the California State Alliance, the Office of the First Lady and the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. "I am so pleased to send our support and gratitude to our service men and women," Shriver said in a statement. "I speak on...

I hope this message finds you and your loved ones enjoying the holidays. I have been thinking a lot about what our johnkerry.com community can do to mark the end of what has been an extraordinary year...

There have been a few threads lately regarding people's effort to support the troops during this holiday season. Unfortunately, they have been a little quiet. Accordingly, I would like to isssue a Christmas challenge to my fellow FReepers: I will match the next $500 in donations to USO Operation Phone Home. A link is provided above. If you have been thinking about donating, but have not as of yet, now is the time to double your money! Help those people defending our country. They will greatly appreciate it.

Americans looking for a way to support their troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this holiday season might want to consider the USO's Operation Phone Home, a program to give pre-paid phone cards to those serving in forward-deployed locations. The program, started in March of 2003, has distributed more than 80,000 phone cards so far. The USO plans to distribute many more over the holiday season to troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and to those recuperating from injuries in the U.S. and abroad. According to the USO, the phone cards are by far the most popular item requested by deployed troops....

Americans looking for a way to support their troops in Iraq and Afghanistan this hol iday season might want to consider the USO's Operation Phone Home, a program to give pre-paid phone cards to those serving in forward-deployed locations. [snip]According to the USO, the phone cards are by far the most popular item requested by deployed troops. Donations can be made online at https://www.uso.org/donate/default.cfm or over the phone by calling 1-800-876-7469. Or, send a check, made out to the USO and with O.P.H. written on the memo line, to: USO World Headquarters, PO Box 96860, Washington, D.C. 20090-6860.

Operation Phone Home Update: 03.06.03 Operation Phone Home, an effort to support troops stationed overseas with calling cards (calls from Kuwait cost upwards of $1.55/minute), personal hygiene products and other care package items is gaining support. Since my first post here, over 100 generous FReepers have contacted me about supporting our troops through Operation Phone Home. In addition, Boar Hunter Magazine (www.boarhuntermagazine.com) has agreed to support our troops with copies of the Boar Hunter magazine. I am also in touch and working with several other magazine publishers to gain their support as well. I will be sending out the first...

Operation Phone Home is an effort by FReepers across the US to show our support for the troops stationed overseas. At present, we are gathering specific items to send to a division stationed in Kuwait. I have been in contact with their commander, a friend of mine, and we are going to send these items to his division and others over the next few months. The items needed include: Phone cards (calls from Kuwait to the States run $1.55+ per minute - calling cards will help defray that cost for the troops and their families) Letters of support, particularly from...

Operation Phone Home, an effort to support our troops with phone cards, letters, etc. is picking up steam. Since I first posted the idea yesterday, almost 100 people have contacted me asking how they can help. For those that haven't yet heard of Operation Phone Home, here's the info: Operation Phone Home was started out of the need to show our support for the men & women who are willing to put their lives on the line for our safety & freedom. It was launched in response to a letter I received from a friend stationed in Kuwait, who mentioned...

FReeper friends & family, I have a friend in Kuwait, where he and his division have been stationed now for two months in Operation Enduring Freedom. I have been emailing him, and we have been able to clear the sending of packages from folks here over to them. According to him, they are in desperate need of International phone cards. Calls from Kuwait to home cost about $1.55 a minute, and many of his division are often unable to make calls to their loved ones & family because of the expense. Letters of support from children & adults here at...