By Eileen Buckley
Buffalo, NY – An effort is underway to help local soldiers deployed in Iraq stay in touch with family. "Operation Soldier Phone Home" kicked off Thursday at the Connecticut Street Armory.
The Department of Defense has arranged for better international calling cards for troops to purchase. The local fund drive hopes to raise $20,000 to cover the cost of buying the cards. National Guard Sergeant Dan Forntera says the cards would allow a solider more than two hours of time to call their family.
"The military does provide a time when you can make one free phone call. Usually, it's just once a week," Forntera explained. "But these families are apart from each other for 12 to 18 months. So, the families have to incur their own cost to provide their own communications back and forth."
There are 300 local soldiers from the Connecticut Street Armory that have been called to active duty. Dunn Tire has already donated $1,000 to the phone card program.