Site Essentials
- » Site Introduction
- » Comment Policy
- » Stryker Brigade 101
- » FAQ
- » Thank The Troops
- » Support Our Site
- » Contact Us
- » Terms & Conditions
In Memoriam
Browse Archives
Search Archives
Subscribe to SBN
Browse Our Shop
Awards
There seems to be a constant question about which calling card is best to use from Iraq. While it porbably depends quite a bit on where your soldier is located, the following article provides some useful information.
UPDATE: Some good information in the comments. Bottom line - find out from your soldier what facilities are available before you buy anything.
[Link to Article]
By Donna Miles, American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2004 -- Looking to buy a prepaid phone card for a servicemember deployed to Southwest Asia, but confused about which one to buy?
Take comfort in knowing you're not alone. With so many competing companies offering different calling cards, picking the best one can be a tough call.
Just about any calling card will work for servicemembers calling the United States from Southwest Asia, Judd Anstey, public affairs specialist for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, told American Forces Press Service.
The big question, he said, boils down to which card offers the lowest per- minute talking charges.
Thanks to an exclusive contract with AT&T, DoD military exchanges offer a card that provides the lowest per-minute fees for calls placed from AT&T phone centers in Southwest Asia, Anstey said.
The Military Exchange Prepaid Global 550-unit phone card offers lower per- minute rates than other prepaid cards, including AT&T prepaid cards sold by other retailers, Anstey said. "It's the best value out there," he said.
If the card is purchased in the United States, the per-minute fees are 28 cents a minute from Iraq or Afghanistan and 21 cents a minute from Kuwait. If the deployed servicemember buys the card in Southwest Asia, the rates are even lower, Anstey said, 25 cents a minute from Iraq and Afghanistan and 19 cents a minute from Kuwait.
This compares to as much as 40 cents per minute charged by some phone-card companies after converting calling units to actual calling minutes, Anstey said.
Anstey said the cards offer additional features: there's no connection fee for calls placed, cards never expire, and the purchaser has the option of "recharging them" so the recipient doesn't run out of calling minutes.
With the winter holidays just over the horizon, Anstey said interest in buying Military Exchange Prepaid Global 550-unit phone cards is picking up.
Anyone can buy them -- not just those who qualify to shop in military exchanges, he said. This makes them favorites for groups as well as individuals who wish to buy them for troops serving in Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
"Anybody can buy them to donate to a specific servicemember or to any servicemember," Anstey said. "They make great gifts."
The cards are available for sale through all military exchanges: the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Navy Exchange, and the Marine Corps Exchange.
For more details about the cards or to buy them, visit the AAFES Web site or call (800) 527-2345.
Comments For "AAFES Calling-Card Best Value for Troops":
These cards are great but there are places that you have to pay for them regardless. The VFW has Uplink cards and my grandson wasn't able to use
them there he had to buy calling cards there from
the local. I think the best thing is having a
computer and emailing them again if the internet
cafes are available.
Posted by: Florence | October 14, 2004 9:48 AM
AT&T is a monopoly and should die.
With AT&T I get 750 minutes but then in Iraq when my husband calls it's about 200 minutes. For $55! It's discusting. And then this last time, someone used all the minutes. Somebody stole my husbands minutes! And it pisses me off. Oh well, at least he'll be home soon.
Posted by: Anonymous | October 14, 2004 12:17 PM
Don't bother buying phone cards for your soldiers unless they ASK you and TELL you what kind to buy. Over here I can't use any phone cards ATT, Grocery Stores, AAFES, etc etc. Most soldiers use the Segovia phones or the satelite phones here. Also, there are Iraqi phones that soldiers can buy phone cards for here.
So don't waste your money. Make sure they can use them first. I have 15 phone cards that just sit in my footlocker until I get home.
Posted by: medic | October 14, 2004 3:08 PM
My son is using a setup through Yahoo on the internet. It uses satelite communicatins and we can talk for 2 cents per minute. he has called a couple of times and we got to talk for an hour or so. If the soldiers have access to the internet they can use this resource. It is better than using the phone cards.
Posted by: Dick Wilkin | October 14, 2004 6:03 PM
Right now with AT&T we get 3 minutes per $1. It's unfair. You would think they would make it easier on them. [edited for all ages]
Posted by: Anonymous | October 15, 2004 6:15 PM
Yeah the at&t monopoly hurts more than helps, free cards sent by VFW and others are useless unless they say att on them. bad att! Ali Babba!
Posted by: Anonymous | October 16, 2004 2:30 PM
I know where everyone is coming from i have a fiance in Iraq right now and I bought a expensive calling card and it'd rediculious because it was used quick because he doesn't have a lot of talk time! I do agree with whoever said it sucks because it does
Posted by: crystal | January 5, 2005 1:41 PM
• Special Phone Rates when calling from Iraq.
AT&T provides service to soldiers in Iraq. To get minute-for-minute on a calling card you call the customer service number on the calling card, hit "0" and it may ask for a pin number (or they'll need it handy). Tell the Customer Service representative that you are calling from Iraq on a military camp or base and they will make the call for you at a one-to-one ratio. If they don't choose to do that and call the regular 800 number on the back of the card in the instructions, they will be paying an 18 to 1 ratio. That means, instead of it costing 3.9 cents a minute, it will cost 70 cents a minute.
Posted by: T | January 17, 2005 9:32 AM