Sailors and Marines deployed with more than 70 units and those forward-deployed to overseas ports during the holidays will receive free $10 prepaid phone cards.
The Navy Exchange Service Command mailed 36,250 free phone cards the week of Nov. 10 to the command master chiefs of the units for distribution, according to NEXCOM spokeswoman Kristine Sturkie.
The $10 AT&T prepaid phone cards can be used on the Afloat Personal Telecommunications Service system, the ship's Plain Old Telephone Service system, or ashore in the U.S. or in any foreign port where AT&T has service.
NEXCOM has a tradition of giving away free phone cards to deployed sailors and Marines.
Ships and submarines that will receive the free phone cards:
- Amphibious assault ships Iwo Jima, Makin Island and Bonhomme Richard.
- Detroyers Cole, Mitscher, Mahan, Oscar Austin, James E. Williams, Donald Cook, Milius, O'Kane, Halsey, Gridley, Sampson, Sterett, Dewey, Michael P. Murphy, Curtis Wilbur, Fitzgerald, John S. McCain, Lassen, McCampbell, Mustin, Stethem and Ross.
- Amphibious transport docks New York and San Diego.
- Dock landing ships Fort McHenry, Comstock, Ashland and Germantown.
- Cruisers Leyte Gulf, Vicksburg, Bunker Hill, Shiloh, Antietam and Cape St. George.
- Aircraft carriers Carl Vinson and George Washington.
- Amphibious command ship Mount Whitney.
- Guide missile submarines Michigan, Ohio and Florida.
- Attack submarines San Francisco, Olympia, Chicago, Key West, Oklahoma City, Louisville, Pasadena, Hawaii, Pittsburgh, Helena, Boise and California.
- Frigates Simpson, Samuel B. Roberts, Gary and Rodney M. Davis,
USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20),
USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7)USS Mitscher (DDG 57USS Cole (DDG 67) USS Mahan (DDG 72), USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) USS James E Williams (DDG 95)USS Donald Cook (DDG 75), USS Ross (DDG 71), USS Makin Island (LHD 8)USS Milius (DDG 69), USS O'Kane (DDG 77), USS Halsey (DDG 97),USS Gridley (DDG 101), USS Sampson (DDG 102),USS Sterett (DDG 104), USS Dewey (DDG 105), USS Michael P Murphy (DDG 112),USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54), USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), USS John S McCain (DDG 56), USS Lassen (DDG 82), USS McCampbell (DDG 85), USS Mustin (DDG 89), USS Stethem (DDG 63), USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54),USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6)
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
