Verizon to Participate in VeteransAdvantage Program For Military Veterans and Families

NEW YORK -- Verizon Communications will participate in the VetRewards program, a new

service to be offered by VeteransAdvantage Inc., a new private-sector company for military veterans and

their families.

Verizon is the national communications company formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE.

Starting in January, members of VeteransAdvantage will be able to earn VetRewards points when

they buy select products and services online from a co-branded Verizon-VeteransAdvantage Web site that

Verizon will create. VetRewards will be applied toward purchases at the VetRewards online store at

www.veteransadvantage.com.

"We want to reward our vets for their service and sacrifice that has preserved America and its free-enterprise

system," said H. Scott Higgins, president and founder of VeteransAdvantage. "Verizon's

participation in our VetRewards program represents a tremendous boost to our efforts to work with the U.S.

business community and give something back to veterans and their families.

"Verizon is the first national company to participate in this VetRewards program and we take our hats

off to this corporate leader," said Higgins.

"Verizon is delighted to form this new alliance with VeteransAdvantage," said Bruce Gordon,

Verizon Retail Markets Group president. "We hope VeteransAdvantage members will take advantage

of this opportunity to buy great communications products and services while earning reward points towards other

purchases.

"Verizon is extremely proud to be the first corporate participant for this innovative program to reward veterans

and their families."

To obtain VetRewards, veterans must register at http://www.veteransadvantage.com for a VetAdvantage

membership card. The card will be free through Veterans Day 2001 to veterans and their families who register in the

first 90 days after the card is issued in January. From that site, veterans will be able to access the special co-branded

VeteransAdvantage/Verizon site to sign up for select Verizon services.

For example, a member who purchases Caller ID through VeteransAdvantage will be eligible for 500

VetRewards points. Points accrue toward purchase of other goods and services through the online

VetRewards store. Members will be able to redeem VetRewards for selected books, videos, digital

videodiscs, computers and other electronics. Offers will change and other products will be added in the future.

There are more than 26 million veterans nationwide. Combined with their families, they total more than 70 million

consumers.

About VeteransAdvantage

VeteransAdvantage's mission is to create significant new private-sector offerings for veterans and their

families. VeteransAdvantage is committed to delivering all types of products and services, from consumer

goods to travel and financial services, to veterans through its Web site, veteransadvantage.com, and through working

with corporations. VeteransAdvantage will donate 10 percent of the revenues generated by purchases made

at the VeteransAdvantage stores to the VeteransAdvantage Foundation, formed to give grants to

organizations that promote the health and welfare of veterans.

About Verizon Communications

Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), formed by the merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE, is one of the world's

leading providers of communications services. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless

communications in the United States, with more than 100 million access line equivalents and more than 26 million

wireless customers. A Fortune 10 company with more than 260,000 employees and approximately $60 billion in

1999 revenues, Verizon's global presence extends to 40 countries in the Americas, Europe, Asia and the Pacific. For

more information on Verizon, visit www.verizon.com.

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