Is phoning home still a problem for our soldiers?

[TC6969]

I remember it used to be a big deal.

[AirForceShooter]

They all have their own cell phones.

For active duty types Verizon has a world wide plan that's pretty cheap

AFS

[TC6969]

I asked because I have a buy here pay here phone with 24,000 prepaid minutes that I'll never use.

That would have been a big hit back in 72!

[Outgunu]

Not a problem anymore because of cheap phones and in country phone cards. I can remember long, long ago having to wait for hours and pay a bunch just to talk to my family during deployment. I found out my oldest daughter was born via red cross message the next day, now a days guys watch the birth live via streaming. When I was last in Afghanistan we also had a pretty good internet connection so I did a lot of video calling with the family.

[joel]

I asked because I have a buy here pay here phone with 24,000 prepaid minutes that I'll never use.

That would have been a big hit back in 72!

Are we reminiscing, or what?
Back in '72, we had to line up (while overseas) in a telephone storefront, lined with dozens of phone booths along the wall and take turns calling home.
(How we paid, I have no memory. I just remember calling home, who knew what the hour was "back home" and hoping that someone was there to take the call. Even when someone answered, you always had that hot breath on your shoulder for you to end the call so that someone else could have a turn) We were young, and as we aged, phone calls became less and less important. At least for me. Waiting in those long lines to make a 3 minute call was exciting as a 17 year old "kid", but not so much when we were 19 yr old "men" (early 70s)