DRS Connects SPAWAR and Freedom Calls Video Link for Military Families
October 21 2008 - 1:34PM
Marketwired
DRS Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: DRS) Military families separated by
thousands of miles are able to "share the same room" as a result of
the collaboration between government, non-profit and industry. The
Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center -- Atlantic (SPAWAR),
Freedom Calls Foundation, and DRS Technologies combined their
resources and technical skills to provide five military families a
quality meeting experience using a high resolution satellite video
link.
One of the service members, Sergeant First Class Philip Frazier
of Bargersville, IN enjoyed the link from an undisclosed site in
Balad, Iraq. "Philip doesn't always tell me how he really feels,"
Danielle Frazier said to the network providers during their brief
introduction before the private session began, holding back her
tears, "but with this clear picture I can read his body language."
Later, she smiled and added that this type of video experience
"enables Philip to see the kids as they cut up and make faces." All
the family members expressed their appreciation to the sponsors for
bringing them together. "We drove an hour and a half to get here
and we'd drive even further to see Philip like this," said Mrs.
Frazier. "This is wonderful!"
Danielle Frazier is one of a handful of families that were
selected to connect to their loved ones through this invaluable
service. Families of the deployed troops gathered before a 42"
monitor and camera in the office of Congressman Dan Burton (R-IN)
in Indianapolis.
"We are always looking for new ways to support our military
families," said Mike Hartman, SPAWAR Program Manager for the
Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) Internet Caf�s from his office
in Stuttgart, Germany. "We were excited to learn of the opportunity
to join in this important undertaking."
SPAWAR Atlantic, commanded by Capt. Bruce Urbon and located in
Charleston, SC, provides quality systems engineering and
acquisition services to rapidly deploy capabilities that enable
knowledge superiority to Naval, joint, and national warfighters.
SPAWAR established the Satellite Services contract in 2003 to
provide a solid communications lifeline -- the MWR Internet Caf�
Network -- from the troops to their friends and families. SPAWAR
oversees the work performed by the satellite systems contractor,
DRS Systems, Inc. The MWR Network consists of over 750 Internet
cafes located in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Balkans and is the
largest and most accessible troop support communications network in
the world.
Freedom Calls Foundation, with over 10,000 video conferencing
sites throughout the United States and 6 videoconferencing centers
situated at military installations in Iraq and Kuwait, is a 501(c)3
charity based in Morristown, New Jersey. The Vice Chairman of the
Joint Chiefs of Staff recently presented the prestigious 2008
Newman's Own award to Freedom Calls Foundation for being the most
innovative charitable program supporting military families. Freedom
Calls' mission is to enable military families to share milestone
events like births, weddings, and graduations, and to enable "loved
ones deployed to the front lines to come home to their families at
the end of the work day" via enterprise-class videoconferences.
DRS Technologies, headquartered in Parsippany, New Jersey, is a
leading supplier of integrated products, services and support to
military forces, intelligence agencies and prime contractors
worldwide. The company employs approximately 10,500 people and
currently has over 300 technicians serving in the field alongside
the troops, many of them on the MWR program. For more information
about DRS Technologies, please visit the company's web site at
www.drs.com.
SPAWARSYSCEN-Atlantic's MWR network website:
http://oif.spawareurope.net
Freedom Calls Foundation: http://www.freedomcalls.org
For more information please contact: Richard M. Goldberg Vice
President, Public Affairs (973) 451-3584 Email Contact Patricia M.
Williamson Vice President, Investor Relations (973) 898-6025 Email
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