Monday, May 12, 2008

Lt. Green, Phone Home

A Collier County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant serving in the military police in Afghanistan hopes you’ll drop him a card.

A calling card.

The CCSO’s Calling Home program is collecting international calling cards for Army 1st Sgt. Scott Green, a lieutenant at the Immokalee Jail Center, and the rest of the soldiers in the 724th Military Police Battalion.

Green, who has been with CCSO since 1999, and his unit arrived in Afghanistan in late December and will be there for at least a year.

It’s been difficult for them to communicate with loved ones back home in the U.S. The Internet is slow and expensive to use. Regular mail delivery takes about two weeks to reach the States.

“The only way for the soldiers to call home and keep in touch with family is with calling cards,’’ Green wrote in a recent e-mail to CCSO. “If you pay for a call any other way it will cost about $4 a minute.”

Calling cards can be purchased at most drug stores and retail giants such as Wal-Mart. AT&T Global cards are preferred. The cards must be for international use.

The public can drop off calling cards at CCSO headquarters at Building J, 3301 U.S. 41 East, East Naples. Bring them to the Human Resources lobby and call 793-9145, or dial 5 on the black phone in the lobby.


Calling cards also may be sent to:

Collier County Sheriff’s Office
Public Affairs Bureau3301 Tamiami Trail East, Bldg. J
Naples, FL 34112
Attention: CCSO’s Calling Home Program