Military families protest big jump in price of soldiers' calls from Iraq

[SaintLouisBlues]

By MICHAEL D. SORKIN
©2003, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
10/16/2003


Some American soldiers in Iraq have made heavy use of phones there to keep in touch with families back home. Now some military families say those calls have virtually stopped because of a hefty increase in phone charges.

"The guys are very upset over there," Edith Beach of Kirksville said Thursday.

Her husband is an Army reservist stationed in Baghdad. Sgt. 1st Class David Beach survived an ambush in which one of his comrades was wounded. He and his wife last spoke Monday night.

"My husband said morale stinks," Edith Beach said. She said he and his comrades now were paying up to $2 a minute to call home.

http://tinyurl.com/ra6p

American capitalism at its finest.
(sorry the long link skews this post--who knows how to shorten links?)

(edit to shorten link)

[ChompySnack]

1. Worldcom?

Skimming just like Halliburton. Since there is no more free press, the scum of the earth are going hog-wild.

[havocmom]

5. Not just skimming by the corporatists

But seems like powers that be are not happy when even tiny truths get our about what is going on over there. The troops won't be able to talk if they keep raising the rates. My guess is the company guys working in the oil fields have no trouble calling home.

[morebunk]

24. Designed for its "chilling" affect.

How else can we keep the soldiers from calling home and telling the truth?

[Newsjock]

2. Formatting

(sorry the long link skews this post--who knows how to shorten links?)

Use the "link" tag to hide the URL. Click on "HTML lookup table" above your reply box, and it will tell you what to do. The result? Your link can look like this:

From the St. Louis Post-Dispatch

[Noordam]

3. here is a short link

http://tinyurl.com/ra6p


I like tinyurl.com for shorter links.

[SaintLouisBlues]

9. Thanks

I cut & pasted your tinyurl deal, because I'm too dumb to figure out
the HTML table.

[Divernan]

4. This is a logical element of Bush's "good news" offensive.

No calls home equals no news from the troops getting back to hometowns across America.
And in the case of Iraq, the Bush policy is that no news is good news.

[Beetwasher]

17. Bingo! You got it!

n/t

[Media_Lies_Daily]

6. Until further notice, the beatings will continue until morale improves!!..

Break's over! On your heads!

[Solly Mack]

7. My husband has to pay .50 a minute to call home (when he's lucky)

It was a dollar a minute. Some areas have to pay more. Btw, it's a coupla of Iraqis with satellite phones who charge the .50 a minute. I'm grateful to them for filling the need at a fraction of the cost others have to pay. But that's still only 2 phones for several hundred soldiers.

The Commo guys hog the morale lines(free calls) and will get churlish and turn them off claiming "the soldiers call home too much." Then turn them back on when the line(to use the phone) empties. So soldiers are being "punished" for calling home.

Nothing is being done to improve the situation. They, they being the military, "plan" to get computer kiosk established...for 2-4 dollars a minute. But even that's "down the road."

If you're lucky enough to get a satellite phone that takes At&T phone cards, you pay 40 bucks for 10-15 minutes..but that's with a phone card purchased in the states and sent over. Catch being, they ONLY take AT&T phone cards...and they are making a killing on phone calls home.I'd have to pay 200 a month for a call a week from my husband using the At&T satellite phones.

200 a month on an additional phone bill is a bit much...but soldiers and their families have few options.

Conditions vary from region to region..some worse, some better.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

10. You'd think that the military would be willing to absorb the cost...

...a small price to pay for putting people like your husband in harm's way. I doubt that any taxpayer would begrudge that kind of cost coming out of the Federal budget.

Good luck to your husband...and to all those that serve with him.

[aquart]

19. Sounds like a legitimate expense to me.

As opposed to 87 billion to line Halliburton's already stuffed pockets.

[MaineDem]

14. Solly Mack, I think that's horrible

For what it's worth, I've sent this article to my congressman. He's on a veterans' committee and is always trying to look out for the military guy and gal and their families. I know him pretty well and I'm sure he'll have something to say on this.

You have a lot of courage and you're needing it to put up with what your husband and the others over there are going through. I'm glad you post here. It gives us all a fantastic perspective. Good luck to you and your family and may your husband stay safe and be home soon. :)

[BeFree]

32. With all that's gone on...

After reading this, from Solly, my heart aches for the soldiers and their families. If I had my druthers, they'd be packing for home. 'Course, If I was the prez., they'd a never left.

Peace

[Mari333]

8. Their possibly last calls to their loved ones

the only thing that might keep these kids sane...and the ChimpCabal makes it impossible for them...
the possibly LAST time they might be able to speak to a loved one, and the Shrub'sThugs make it impossible for them.
God, this is so cruel.

[0007]

11. I thought the G.I. could make

free phone calls.

[trogdor]

20. Sure, if you have time to spend in line.

I mean HOURS for a ten minute call. You'd have an easier time scoring Stones tickets.

[bushisanidiot]

12. AWOL is a motherf*cker! Why Isn't the AWOL Admin. picking up the phone

charges for the love of freaking gawd??!?!!!! the assh*le has the balls to ask for 87 billion, but nothing for the bulls-eyes over their to call home??!!!!!

AWOL needs to be fired!!!

[Tim4319]

13. Troop morale is extremely low!

Here is an article written by MSNBC explaining the results of a questionnaire distributed amoungst the troops over in Iraq. It is crazy!

Click the link below.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/980954.asp?

[newyawker99]

29. Hi Tim4319!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dArKeR]

15. This story is completely false Saddam propaganda! I'm sure our soldiers

get FREE calls home. I'm sure of it!

[rocktivity]

16. Way to support the troops, Commander-In-Chump!

Bill them for their hospital meals, make them wait until December to get their body armor, force their families to buy and ship extra uniforms, and now this!


rocknation

[beyurslf]

18. I thought they

already got free calls home. I guess I was living in a fantasy land. Maybe everyone should call ATT and drop service if they have it.

[tlcandie]

22. I dropped ATT LONG time ago ...

I use EXCEL phone service and there is NO long distance charge for set rate and you don't have to change your original phone number or dial any stupid number prefixes!

If this might help anyone here's a link..it is long, sorry :(


http://www.excelir.com/NASApp/IRHS/layout1/structure/USA/index.jsp?TransSessionID=00e36317-2481-1c00-0000-00f84a8c20ac


We were paying around $50 (and many times more as husband travels and family lives all over the US) monthly for long distance service plus an additional $25 monthly for the local service and local calls.

We really enjoy it! Not trying to sell anything, but if it will help anyone save $$$ then that is good :D

[donsu]

25. me too - dropped ATT - they cheat and scam

nt

[Nottingham]

21. This is awful! They should provide cheaper rates!

:bounce: Our military men need more support!

[snooper2]

23. What happens...

If they dial 10-10-220?

just a thought... :)

[IkeWarnedUs]

26. not always an option

At home we use 10-10-811 for long distance and Vartec (the company) doesn't have any international service. I understand (from friends) that many of the dial up long distance services like that don't. I had to call my old boss in Hungary last year and had to go through AT&T on a single call basis - over $80 for two 1 minute calls.

[Iraq_Vet_For_Peace]

27. Know it first hand

Had my wife send me a Motorola Iridium Sat phone while i was there. While i am far from being able to afford it, month old mail and no phone got to me. The phone itself was a grand, plus about 600-1000 per month, depending on how many of buddies used it. In the end it was a small price to pay for me and my friends morale. One guy used it to call his wife.. two weeks later he was killed in action.

[Beetwasher]

28. Damn! Sorry about your buddy who was KIA

Welcome home and welcome to DU! You will find lots of support here and we're glad to have you aboard.

[rocktivity]

34. Welcome to DU, Iraq_Vet_For_Peace!

:hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi:

Are you scheduled to go back?


rocknation

[this_side_up]

30. I wonder why they won't let Iraqis

set up Voice over IP companies?

That is what we use for long distance within the
continental US; $20/mo unlimited use.

And I've read that all of the outsourced to India tech center
calls are being handled via the Internet also.

Today I read that Vonage was being harassed by the
telephone companies but the state ruled against them.

I think Vonage does worldwide calls for $35/mo or maybe
that is just US? Whatever. Unlimited International calls should
not be much more money per month.

Let's watch and see how long it takes some US
company/persons to start up VoIP in Iraq :(

[w4rma]

31. And the GOP Congress votes down an amendment to fix the problem.

…
The House also narrowly defeated an amendment by Rep. David R. Obey (D-Wis.) that would have shifted $3.6 billion from the Iraq reconstruction fund to the U.S. military to pay for the medical and dental screening of military reservists, for family assistance centers, for pre-paid phone cards for the troops in Iraq, for the transportation of troops on rest-and-relaxation leave, for the construction of more water treatment and power plants for the deployed troops, and for the repair and replacement of damaged equipment. The amendment died, 216 to 209.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A38331-2003Oct16.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=549673

[SoCalDem]

33. FREE PHONE CARDS FOR SOLDIERS

There are links here that provide free calling cards to soldiers in Iraq.. Some of the "adopt-a-soldier" DUers have sent them..(I think )

http://tinyurl.com/rd8t