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Related Resources • Wars, Contingencies, & Deployments • AT&T Military Site

MORRISTOWN, N.J. - AT&T has announced plans to construct additional calling centers in seven forward-deployed camps and bases in Kuwait to nearly triple the number of payphones available for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to use to call loved ones back home.

"AT&T is honored to be able to assist our troops with the services they need to stay in touch with loved ones, no matter the distance or the time of day," said Bill Baumann, director of AT&T's Military Markets. "AT&T will remain vigilant in supporting the personal communications needs of the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces currently being deployed to the Middle East."

In December, AT&T added calling centers throughout eight camps in Kuwait. Through its contracts with the military exchange services, AT&T is expanding existing services in Kuwait and will continue to add other Middle East locations as requested by the military. The camps and bases in Kuwait where AT&T will open calling centers over the next few weeks are Camps Al Jaber, Ali Al Salem, Commando, Udairi, Coyote, and Fox and the Patriot Naval Base.

Today, the company provides calling services in more than 170 overseas locations and aboard more than 200 U.S. Navy ships, including the U.S.S. Harry S. Truman, U.S.S. Constellation and U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln Carrier Battle Groups. Using AT&T Direct ® Service, AT&T makes it possible for service members to make prepaid phone card, calling card and collect calls. In addition, AT&T provides calling services to disembarking Sailors and Marines as their ships enter foreign ports.

In a typical year, AT&T meets ships at 103 ports in more than 70 countries. Prior to deployment, AT&T representatives regularly help brief troops about the personal communications services that will be available to them in these forward-deployed locations, including an AT&T Calling Card with the AT&T Global Military Saver PlusSM plan designed to save them money on calls worldwide using the AT&T network. In addition, AT&T provides discounted prepaid phone cards to the military exchange services, which make them available on base, in ship stores and in down range tent stores.

"Today's members of the military are more connected than in any other previous deployments in U.S. history," said Baumann. "Personal communication for troops deployed overseas has evolved considerably since Operation Desert Storm."

In 1990, AT&T's "Operation Desert Fax" allowed family members to fax more than 500,000 free personal messages to U.S. military personnel stationed in the Persian Gulf. The next year AT&T installed a portable satellite earth station in Kuwait, which, with 720 lines, helped rebuild the communications infrastructure damaged in the Persian Gulf War. The portable satellite earth stations not only restored calling ability from Kuwait to the rest of the world - but allowed military personnel to call home from a forward-deployed location for the first time.

ABOUT AT&T

AT&T (www.att.com) is among the premier voice, video and data communications companies in the world, serving businesses, consumers, and government. The company runs the largest, most sophisticated communications network in the U.S., backed by the research and development capabilities of AT&T Labs. A leading supplier of data, Internet and managed services for the public and private sectors, AT&T offers outsourcing and consulting to large businesses and government. The company is a market leader in local, long distance and Internet services, as well as transaction-based services like prepaid cards, collect calling and directory assistance. With approximately $37 billion of revenue, AT&T has relationships with about 50 million consumers and 4 million business customers, who depend on AT&T for high-quality communications. AT&T has garnered several awards for outstanding performance and customer service.

Through contracts with AAFES, NEXCOM, MCCS and the Coast Guard Exchange, AT&T is an official provider of personal telecommunications services for all five branches of U. S. military at 529 military bases and camps worldwide and on more than 200 U. S. Navy ships afloat. AT&T is also a longtime supporter of the military through the development and support of morale-boosting and quality-of-life initiatives as a World Partner of the United Service Organizations, Inc. (USO) and in cooperation with Air Force Services, the Marine Corps Community Services and Army, Navy and Coast Guard Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs.

AT&T's Web site dedicated to the military, www.att.com/mil, allows customers to sign up for AT&T's special military calling card plan-AT&T Global Military Saver Plus, print a wallet card with AT&T Direct Service access numbers, find answers to frequently asked questions, sign-up for online billing, and send questions to military customer service. The Product and Service Advisor helps military families determine which products are right for them. AT&T is the only telecom company with a Web site devoted to the military.

Above Information Courtesy of AT&T