Photo By Staff Sgt. Kylee Warren | U.S. Air Force Airmen assigned to Task Force Liberty assist an Afghani couple contact...... read more read more
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* All Afghan names have been changed to protect the identity of guests and their families.
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N. J. - Master Sgt. James Tucker became the noncommissioned officer in charge of Afghan Phones after joining Task Force Liberty in late September. There he met Marzia, an 18-year-old, anxious to reach the family she left in Afghanistan.
Wearing a traditional green hijab and dark-framed glasses, Marzia timidly entered Tucker’s small workspace with a male interpreter. In broken English, she requested to call her mother. The interpreter explained she attempted to call her mother for several weeks and this was her third visit to Afghan Phones.
In response, Tucker and his team of Airmen helped Marzia navigate the phone application to connect her with her family. As the phone rang, Marzia held her breath, hoping to hear her mother’s voice.
After meeting guests like Marzia, Tucker realized that providing phone services to Afghan guests played a vital role in their recovery and resettlement.
“Afghan Phones is a strategic communications program that provides Afghan guests with a line of communication to call their family in Afghanistan and ultimately learn if their loved ones are safe,” Tucker said. “There are times when people are willing to talk about why they come to Afghan phones. They tell stories about the Taliban taking down the internet and destroying communication lines, so our service is important to them.”
Tucker said most guests who come to Afghan phones do not have cell phones. “Guests make an appointment to use the phones, and when they come in, they can attempt to contact their families using a variety of secure communications applications,” Tucker said. “They deeply appreciate this service.”
Raawyia, a volunteer interpreter awaiting resettlement, also expressed appreciation for the program. Raawyia fled Afghanistan after realizing her professional career would end if she stayed in Kabul. Raawyia said she heard many first-hand accounts of people leaving their families while fleeing for their lives.
“Many left everything behind. They are currently experiencing a lot of trauma, and the ability to know the status of their families is a source of relief,” said Raawyia. “Having this service would be a personal help to me if I was forced to leave my phone behind.”
Recently married, Ghaus and Saadia left Afghanistan because their lives were in danger after working for US organizations, Ghaus said. The couple expressed concern that their sisters are at risk of being forced into arranged marriages, harmed, or worse. Now stateside, Ghaus said he was grateful that he could contact multiple members of his family and verify their safety.
Privacy is a challenge but Airmen at Afghan Phones take precautions to protect the privacy of the guests, and the identity of their loved ones overseas, Tucker said.
“Another daily challenge Airmen at Afghan phones face is assisting guests whose families do not have the digital applications that allow them to receive calls,” Tucker said. Ideally, the program would have funding for phone cards, but that funding is not available, Tucker said.
“It’s also a hard experience when guests call home and cannot reach their family,” said Tucker. “In these situations, we ask the guest to keep trying.”
After days of trying, Marzia finally heard her mother’s voice answer her phone call. She immediately smiled, laughed, and responded with enthusiastic Dari words.
“When Marzia finally got through to her mother, I felt a great sense of joy, relief, and accomplishment,” Tucker said. “She was laughing and talking loudly. I couldn’t understand what she was saying, but I could tell she was excited to hear her loved one on the other side of one of our phones.”
As Afghan phones grow, new guests visit daily, however, guests like Marzia have become regulars who continue to check on loved ones, said Tucker.
Guests without personal phones need this program, said Tucker. “These families require ongoing support reaching their loved ones because the situation in Afghanistan is constantly evolving. Everyday someone needs help, and just because someone’s family was doing well today, doesn’t mean they don’t need to be checked on again.”
| Date Taken: | 10.29.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 11.18.2021 10:51 |
| Story ID: | 409254 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, NEW JERSEY, US |
| Web Views: | 139 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Afghan Phones: A Line to Relief, by SSgt Kylee Warren, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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