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VFW Operation Uplink™ has given thousands of military personnel and hospitalized veterans one of the simplest yet most meaningful gifts they can receive: the opportunity to hear the voices of their families and loved ones.
Click to read how VFW Operation Uplink cards have impacted so many lives.
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VFW Operation Uplink Bridges Communication Gap
Around the nation and the world more than two million deployed military personnel and hospitalized veterans struggle with the hardships associated with being far from home.
To help ease that costly burden, the Veterans of Foreign Wars in 1996 launched VFW Operation Uplink™, a key VFW program that provides free phone time to active-duty military personnel and hospitalized veterans.
To date, the VFW has distributed nearly 9 million prepaid phone cards-–worth an estimated $23 million--to hospitalized veterans and deployed servicemembers. The cards provide 15-minutes of free talk time back to the states, providing twice as many minutes as other commercial calling cards.
Members of VFW and Ladies Auxiliary VFW Posts, as well as other caring citizens generously support the program.
Since the events of September 11, 2001, the need for VFW Operation Uplink phone cards has risen dramatically. Thousands of troops have been deployed, many for a year or more. Countless phone cards have been distributed to Afghanistan, Iraq and other “hot spots” worldwide to ease the pain of separation and keep morale high for America’s defenders.
Recognizing how vital it is to keep the personal lines of communication open between service members and their loved ones, VFW Operation Uplink initiated “Free Call Days” in 2006 for military members deployed throughout Iraq and Afghanistan. On special holidays like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Independence Day and Christmas, troops can call home at no charge from more than 400 locations in Iraq and 40 locations in Afghanistan. By the end of 2008, VFW hopes to expand “Free Call Days” locations to 600 in Iraq and 80 in Afghanistan as well as extend the availability of call days to two days per month.
Free Call Days have provided nearly 900,000 servicemembers with free phone calls, equaling more than 10 million minutes in free phone time.
The VFW is proud of VFW Operation Uplink because it provides an easy way for individuals and organizations to make an immediate difference in the lives of hospitalized veterans and active-duty military personnel.
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