For a deployed father, there’s nothing quite like hearing his child’s voice, especially on Father’s Day. Thanks to a VFW Operation UplinkTM“Free Call Day,” sponsored by Sport Clips, thousands of deployed dads had the opportunity to talk to their children and loved ones on Father’s Day. The Free Call Day allowed overseas military personnel to call home free-of-charge and personally give and receive Father’s Day wishes.
Free Call Days are available to troops and hospitalized veterans in Afghanistan and Kuwait. Service members can call home any time during the 24-hour Free Call Day and are free to talk to family and friends as long as they are able.
Tens of thousands of deployed troops were able to call home. “The Father’s Day Free Call Day is especially meaningful to military fathers who wouldn’t otherwise be in contact with their children for Father’s Day. We are so proud to be able to give that opportunity to so many families,” National Military Services Director Michael Penney said of the program.
The fathers were no doubt grateful for the opportunity to speak with loved ones, spending hundreds of thousands of free minutes speaking with their sons, daughters and other loved ones.
Free Call Days are offered at more than 450 MWR Internet cafes using SPAWAR located at various military installations in Afghanistan and Kuwait. The program is the only one of its kind, providing at least three designated days each month when deployed service members can make phone calls to the U.S. at no cost.
Overall the program has provided over 7.2 million connections since it began offering Free Call Days in 2006.
The next Free Call Day is scheduled for June 30, and is sponsored by Sport Clips. Click here for the full Free Call Day schedule.
To learn more about VFW’s Operation Uplink program and other VFW National Military Services programs, click here.