My boyfriend is in Iraq...Is it pretty expensive for him to call me.. he just left- I'm just curious to know about how many calls I can expect a month, 1, maybe 2...
2006-07-22 21:59:40 · 6 answers · asked by bubble toes 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Military
Yeah- I know he'll be really busy over there.. I'm 5 months pregnant, and he'll still be over there when baby is born...just wanted to get an idea of how often i'll get to talk to him to tell him about our baby..
2006-07-22 22:09:59 · update #1
no.. as long as he is stationed on a base and calls from there, the call is treated just as if it were a domestic long distance call from within the continental united states.. Now, depending on which base he's at, they handle things differently.. some require them to buy certian phone cards, for example.. but the cost for him to call you would be no different them him calling from Texas to NY.. keep in mind though, that there are long lines for the phones and that your soldier is going to be extremly busy while he's over there, so dont be disappointed if he doesnt call as often as you would like
2006-07-22 22:06:45 · answer #1 · answered by babyvett 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
There are usually two main options for soldier in Iraq to call home, AT&T or a system called SPAWARE or something. The AT&T is more expensive calling than the other. I think it is very cheap to use the SPAWARE. The AT&T varies depending upon what the phone card will do. First of all, they are overseas and there is a min of a first time call fee that will take an amount from the calling card when first used and then after that the rate is normally similiar to calling within the states using a payphone. Many calling cards out there charge a high fee for this connection fee and will cut the minutes available down to perhaps 1/10 of what would be used stateside. Best deal with AT&T cards is the AAFES cards and then recharge the same card with a credit card.
The SPAWARE is most economical but that is the ones the soldiers usually have to wait in line for but is much cheaper than anything else out there. Must use a credit card to purchase minutes online. Requires a computer to purchase the phone card. That is on the bases that have those phone centers. They could be one or more miles from where your soldier lives and works. You should get more than one or two calls per month. It depends a lot on his schedule and what is available.
One other is sometimes a official phone line can be used at tiems to call a base stateside and then use a phone card to complete the call as necessary, this is sometimes still permitted but not usually permitted if phone centers are available. Helps to keep the letters going to him as well. Hang in there.
2006-07-22 22:26:33 · answer #2 · answered by amy m 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes it's incredibly expensive. I was lucky while I was there and had access to a phone every other day. I would call my wife and talk for about 15 or 20 minutes a day and it cost about $150 every two weeks. AT&T was the phone card provider and they charged a high connection fee and each unit wasn't worth as much because the call was from Iraq.
2006-07-22 22:10:50 · answer #3 · answered by justind_000 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
We are British so I suspect it is different but we got 20 minutes free each week, and actually I was able to call him almost every day. Dreadfully expensive, but let's face it, we weren't going out to dinner! There are email facilities in Internet cabins to which I am sure he will have access when he is on the base, and of course you can write. We wrote every day and it's fascinating to re-read them. You can also send him a Dictaphone or a mini tape recorder.We both had them. I used to chat into it when I got home from work, so he could hear the normal sounds of home, and his mum and our friends would record little messages on it. We would exchange tapes by sending them on Fridays, and we both treasured them because it meant that we could hear each others voice at the touch of a button. Remember that there are communications blackouts for obvious reasons and that the mail will come in batches, so please don't worry if he is quiet for short periods. Be strong and remember he can't WAIT to get home to you.
2006-07-23 03:56:52 · answer #4 · answered by Kitty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
honestly? don't get your hopes up and assume he'll have regular access to phone or internet. Depending on where he ends up, he could have no infrastructure in place, or he could get very lucky and get a nice base where he has access to phones and ISP every day.
There are phone cards that he can purchase that make the per minute charge relatively inexpensive..
2006-07-23 04:44:05 · answer #5 · answered by Mrsjvb 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Expense is not really the issue, availability is. If he does not call for a while, cut the guy some slack. He is in a war zone, after all.
2006-07-22 22:05:06 · answer #6 · answered by recon26_1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋