You can help the troops by visiting the Cell Phones page on www.JoeOnTheMove.com and renewing your current cell phone plan or starting a new cell phone plan. By starting or renewing your cell phone plan through www.JoeOnTheMove.com, cell phone carriers will donate the equivalent to 10% of your bill to help the troops. So tell your friends, family, co-workers or anyone you know to renew their current cell phone plan or to start a new cell phone plan through JoeOnTheMove if they want to help the troops. Thanks and spread the word!

-The JoeOnTheMove Team

Boys, born close together, were seldom apart,
Each one once hidden, so close to my heart.
Baseballs and footballs, and trucks, red and blue,
Couldn’t get just one, every time I’d need two.
Despite hassles and tussles, and fights, quite a few,
What one would think up, the other would do.
Ever active, and noisy, with toy guns and tanks,
Their sister and I laughed and sighed at their pranks.
From toy chests to bunk beds, and shoes in a row,
Together they’d lived, and together they’d go.

From home, on to college, and to the Marines,
To Boot Camp, Graduation, and places between.
I watched as they marched, and paraded so stately,
And knew that they’d need skills acquired just lately.
My boys, strong and brave, would serve with great pride,
While I, a Marine Mom, must take it in stride.

While our troops are away and so far from their homes,
We sit at computers, and stay close to our phones.
We gaze at their pictures, and dream of their faces,
We gather together, but see empty places.
We speak of our troops, but don’t mention our fears,
Our private thoughts often dissolve into tears.
We wait for their letters, and dream of a call,
We hope for their safety, and pray for them all.

Now in different battles, where each has his part,
I still keep my boys in my prayers, and my heart.
I wish I could keep them forever in sight,
But they’re boys, and Marines; They’re My Heroes, All Right!

Original poem by Anne M. Walker; March, 2010. In honor of her sons,
LCpl Stephen A. Walker, USMC, currently on 2nd tour in Afghanistan, and
LCpl Dustin A. Walker, USMC, now serving as Deputy Sheriff in Morgan County, Ohio.

My husband is a soldier for the US Army for the last couple years. We had to deal with no free internet, this became ridiculous over the year or so he was gone. We are two person family and have a puppy, but we tend to be short on money because of other bills.

Many families would agree on that, a lot of families consit of 3 or more people. And have to survive on little pay every 2 weeks to help with bills and food.
Paying for internet when they are deployed just adds another bill to them and makes more difficult to pay for other bills.

That is why free internet for the deployed soldiers is a great idea and should come in effect.

My husband is currently stationed over seas.  I am not sure if I am at liberty to say where exactly so i won’t.  He left in the begining of February.  We have a 2 yr old who misses his daddy very much, as do I.  We can not talk or email often.  We have talked on the phone I believe 3 times since he has been gone. All very short because of the cost. 

I have recieved 1 e-mail so far because he does not have access to personal internet yet, we have been told it will take some time to set up for the soldiers to have personal internet access, but with that comes the cost.  Which from what I have heard is going to be $70.00 to each soldier.  I do not know at this time if it is each soldiers private connection that they can access at any time.  Or if it is going to be everyone in the FOB’s an only access at certain times like the phones. 

It is really hard to not have any contact like this.  I am used to being able to talk to him about all the day to day that is going on.  And now I have to try and fit a couple of days worth of family life into a couple minutes.  I am so proud of my husband for serving his country. 

I understand that the places our soldiers go are not as electronicly savvy as we here are.  But you would think that our men an women in the armed forces would be able to make phone calls and use the internet for free if not a resonable price.  I am pretty sure the military is not paying extravegant prices for the internet connection or phones that are set up for the day to day activities of the military  to carry out their missions.  So why must the soldiers pay so much, when they are trying to support families they have left behind. Thanks for reading.

My name is Natalie and my husband is currently deployed to Iraq with Fort Drum’s 2nd Brigade.  He currently has to pay almost $55.00 a month to receive internet services just so we can stay in touch with other.  That money could be better used making sure he has everything he needs while there without cutting our budget short here at home. 

Together we have 3 children, and as anyone out there with kids knows, they are not cheap.  The military deserves better ways in which to communicate with their families that won’t cost them an arm and a leg.  I am extremely proud of my husband and of the sacrifices that he has made to serve his country.  They all deserve a Thank You and free communications with home.

I am the mother of a man who has now spent 19 of his years with the military.  He is currently serving in Afghanistan.  He has served in Iraq twice since the war began and has served in Saudi in the past during Desert Storm. 

Having a loved one serving his country proudly and yet in doing so going miles and miles away and having to pay for internet is quite disheartening.  Why are those serving whether in war or because of orders overseas having to pay not only for the internet service, put the costs are so much more than any of us using the internet for our leisure time or business.
 
They aren’t using it 24/7 as they have very, very important jobs to do or they wouldn’t be there.  If they are stationed at a base, working every day, there is access to call home, ie: I’m going to be late for dinner…  but they can’t use the internet to send an email or chat with their loved ones?  My granddaughter misses her dad.  My daughter in law misses her husband.  My daughter misses her brother. 

His grandmother misses her grandson… and his mother misses her son.  I feel the situation regarding the war zone is even a greater discussion on internet use as all of these mentioned don’t just miss their loved one….they want to know he is safe.  It’s not a situation or discussion of rate of pay but rather a benefit that in my opinion should be allowed due to the circumstances that takes the soldier away from the homefront.
 
This is my story and my opinion…my son has no input to this message.  I am writing because I strongly believe in this cause especially after finding out how much he has to pay per month to be able to use the internet and the fact that so many times he has even been without as the server has been down.  Why isn’t it an allowable benefit to those that serve our country?  I have an important job, but my job will never be as important as his.  Can I get on the internet to talk to my family?  Of course not!  But I come home to my family each and every day!

Soldiers should be able to have free phone calls. They are the ones fighting and risking there life for yours. All they want is to be able to talk to there families. They should be able to. They pay there dues they fight for you. You think they want to be on the other side of the world. No why would they? All they want is to let there families know in a quick way so please let them. Thank-you.
From – Anonymous

Free internet means not only hearing but also seeing loved ones using webcam connections.  For my seven month old grandson, seeing his father, who will soon be deployed to Afghanistan, will help him understand that dad cares for him. With a little brother or sister on the way, mom and dad need to communicate.  I know dad would like to view the baby and see his wife after the birth of the little one due in October.  Also, as this soldier’s mother, internet communicating will help ease my worry a little.