Help the troops call home on Father’s Day Published June 14, 2007 By Chris Ward AAFES Media DALLAS -- On June 17, most fathers will wake to smiles, hugs and maybe even another tie for their collection. For more than 150,000 American fathers, sons and daughters serving in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF), their Father's Day will be much different. To help bridge the gap between the front lines and the home front, the Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) actively partners with the American public on not just Father's Day, but everyday troops are far from home. Available to the public since April 2004, "Help Our Troops Call Home" allows anyone, even non-authorized exchange shoppers, to send Military Exchange Global Prepaid Phone cards to troops stationed in OEF/OIF. Since the program's inception, more than 206,000 phone cards have been purchased. "From the Soldier with a young child back home to the Airman who will spend his first Father's Day away from dad, being able to reach out and speak to loved ones is critical to morale," said AAFES Contingency Planning Chief Lt. Col. Steven Dean. "During my deployment, being able to talk to my family was my first priority." By simply logging on to aafes.org or calling 800-527-2345, dads, aunts, neighbors and even civic groups can take part in the "Help Our Troops Call Home" effort by sending any one of three Military Exchange Global Prepaid Phone cards, including a 550-minute denomination card capable of providing more than two hours of call time from any of 72 phone centers in Iraq, Afghanistan or Kuwait to the United States. Anyone wishing to send a Military Exchange Global Prepaid phone card to a deployed Marine, Sailor, Airman or Soldier can log on to aafes.org or call toll free 800-527-2345. From there, the phone card may be sent to an individual service member (designated by the sender) or distributed to "any service member" through the American Red Cross, Air Force Aid Society, Fisher House Foundation, Navy-Marine Corps Relief, Soldier & Family Assistance Center and USO.