Operation Phone Home®

Even in today’s digitally advanced society, a simple phone call to a loved one can bring joy, peace and strength to families separated by service. But expensive international phone rates and service plans are often out of reach for young service members. That’s where the USO steps in.

Operation Phone Home®, one of the services forward-deployed service members most frequently request, is a two-part program. Launched in 2003 as a phone card program, Operation Phone Home® has changed with the times, adding a private telephone network and internet connectivity in 2009. At our centers located in combat zones, the USO’s private telephone network allows service members to make free phone calls home, provides access to computers with free high-speed Internet bandwidth and offers free wireless internet access for those with their own wifi-enabled device.

For forward-deployed service members in remote areas without access to our centers, phone cards are still the lifeline that keeps them connected to friends and family. To date, the USO has provided more than 3.2 million free prepaid international calling cards, allowing service members stationed overseas to connect with their loved ones back home.