WASHINGTON -- More than 60,000 free, prepaid international calling cards have been distributed to troops since the USO launched "Operation Phone Home" in March 2003. Phone cards are the most popular item requested by deployed troops, especially those serving in Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.

The USO also distributes phone cards to wounded service members recuperating at various military hospitals stateside and overseas, and includes them in Operation USO Care Packages.

"One of the most urgent requests we receive is for ways service members can stay in touch with their families," said Edward A. Powell, president and CEO of USO World Headquarters. "The success of Operation Phone Home has meant that thousands of our men and women in uniform have been able to stay connected with their loved ones during long deployments."

The USO is urging Americans to continue to support "Operation Phone Home" and show their gratitude to service members, particularly those stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Donations can be made by visiting the USO Web site at http://www.uso.org, or by calling 1-800-876-7469 and specifying your donation is for "USO Operation Phone Home."

The USO recently opened a center at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport -- one of two airports serving as the focal point for troops arriving in the United States on rest and recuperation (R&R) flights. The other airport is the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, which is served by the USO of Georgia. Expanding outreach to troops overseas, the USO also recently opened centers in Kuwait, Qatar and Vicenza, Italy.

For more than 63 years, the USO (United Service Organizations) has been providing morale, welfare and recreational services to U.S. military personnel and their families. The USO is a congressionally chartered, nonprofit organization and relies on the generosity of the American people to support its programs and services. The USO is supported by World Partners AAHOA, Amazon.com, AT&T, BAE SYSTEMS, Build-A-Bear Workshop, Clear Channel Worldwide, Coca-Cola, Computer Systems Center, Inc., ESPN, Lockheed Martin, Morgan Stanley, Ray-Ban, Reader's Digest, Sara Lee, S & K Sales Company, True.com, Ty Inc., USAA Foundation and The Walt Disney Company. Other corporate donors, including Walgreens and the United Way and Combined Federal Campaign (CFC-0600), have joined thousands of individual donors to support the USO. For more information on the USO, please visit our Web site at http://www.uso.org.

USO, Inc.

USO, Inc.

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