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Free Internet for Soldiers

Our US soldiers are paying up to $100 a month to have access to the internet, and therefore contact with their loved ones, while serving overseas. It's inexcusable that in addition to the sacrifices they already make, they are paying such a fee while

The soldiers serving our country overseas are being charged up to $100 a month by a foreign company for internet access. The soldiers are often not able to share the cost, or shop around to other companies for a better price. These individuals make great sacrifices to serve our country, and the families at home do the same. Now those soldiers and families will have to sacrifice even more to budget for an additional $100 a month to be able to stay in contact. For young soldiers on a low pay grade, it?s hard enough to make ends meet without adding to the expense of being overseas.



Currently, the military provides a limited number of computers and phone lines for free usage, and not all of the bases offer free phone lines. The computers do not have the software or hardware that soldiers use to talk to their families via webchat or video messaging. For soldiers with young children at home, seeing their faces and being able to participate in the lives of their children is a vital part of staying connected and keeping morale high.



The US government should be providing each soldier with internet access, by any means neccesary. By providing the soldiers who have their own computers internet access in their barrack, it would decrease the wait time in the cafes for those who can't afford to have their own laptops and allow them to use the computer for more than 30 minutes. The soldiers wouldn't be restricted by hours of operation, which often don't fit into the hours that the families at home are awake, or in with their mission schedule. Please help stop these foreign companies from taking advantage of our soldiers need to stay in contact with their loved ones and making a profit by providing internet for our soldiers.



I hope this is an issue that you will take a stance on. Military families sacrifice too much to have to choose between basic needs or being in touch with their loved one on a regular basis. The soldiers themselves, who risk life and limb every day to protect this country, shouldn?t be taken advantage of by greedy corporations. In this current economic climate, where families are struggling to make ends meet while the government is bailing out financial institutions, I hope some of my tax dollars can be used to do some good for our troops.



Thank you for your attention to this matter.