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Mark your calendar for a free call home

Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan will get to call home for free Aug. 17 courtesy of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“Free Call Day,” according to an Army news release, is a VFW Operation Uplink program that uses contributions from supporters so service members can call loved ones in the United States free of charge.

All existing users of the Morale, Welfare and Recreation Prepaid service and all new users will be able to take advantage of this opportunity.

Here’s how it will work: Follow the regular dialing procedure to place a call using your SPAWAR prepaid personal identification number. When the system plays an announcement that says your call is being sponsored, it will mean the call is free.

The free calls will take place between 12:01 a.m. until 11:59 p.m. Iraq time on Aug. 17, a Sunday. Calls to Canada and other countries will be charged at the standard rate, the release said.

The VFW is composed of current or former members of the U.S. armed forces. It is a non-profit organization whose mission is to “honor the dead by helping the living” through veterans’ service, community service, national security and a strong national defense.

Since the program began in 1996, the VFW has provided deployed service members and hospitalized veterans with millions of minutes of free phone time.

The program is part of VFW National Military Services, which includes initiatives that boost morale, aid struggling military families and encourage troop support, the release said.