Staying close while serving away on Valentine's Day
If you’ve served in the military, chances are you’re familiar with long-distance relationships–romantic or otherwise. Deployments, training pipelines, temporary duty assignments and Permanent Change of Station moves make long-distance communication less of an exception and more of a baseline.
I learned that quickly while stationed at a Marine Corps base in Japan. Friends and family back home in New Jersey were just waking up as my day was winding down. Staying in touch meant doing the time-zone math and finding a narrow window where our schedules overlapped (when they did at all).
I remember calling my parents one day at 3 a.m. because it was the only hour that worked across time zones. I stood outside in the dark, whispering into my phone and hoping my brain would start functioning before the call ended.
There were also stretches when even that wasn’t possible. Time at the remote Jungle Warfare Training Center in Okinawa meant days without cell reception. And long hours inside secure facilities meant I couldn’t have a cell phone on me, regardless of connectivity.
And even then, I knew I had it pretty good compared to my Navy friends on submarines, who might spend weeks–sometimes longer–several hundred feet below the surface, waiting for a rare window to connect with others.
That’s why Valentine’s Day, like other holidays, can feel a little different in the military. While couples everywhere are exchanging cards and making dinner reservations, service members around the world are finding creative ways to stay connected.
Finding a moment to connect can be stressful enough, so it helps not having to worry about a bill as well. For service members and their families, Verizon currently offers a few practical ways to help manage costs, including:
- Discounted Mobile Plans: Get four lines on Unlimited Welcome for $25 per line per month with Auto Pay and paper-free billing.
- Home Internet Savings: Activate Fios Home Internet for as low as $30 per month when bundled with a mobile plan.
- Tech Essentials: Enjoy a 25% discount on accessories purchased online to help you gear up for those cross-continent video calls.
Verizon also offers both short and long-term military suspension options, giving service members flexibility based on how long they’ll be away.
For shorter deployments or training assignments lasting less than 90 days, customers can keep their line active for just $10 per month. For longer separations, such as overseas tours, suspension is available for up to three years.
These benefits are available to active-duty members, retirees, veterans, and Gold Star families, helping ensure that no matter where service takes you, staying connected to home is one less thing to worry about.
For more details around these military offers visit: https://www.verizon.com/military/.
