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Family in Iraq? See them in Seminole

SPC's video teleconferencing equipment will help military families feel close again, if only for a few moments.

By AMY BOYLE
Published May 2, 2006

If you have a loved one serving in Iraq and would like to see them via a live video hookup, St. Petersburg College wants to hear from you.

The college's University Partnership Center in Seminole has the video teleconferencing technology to help families see and speak with their loved ones serving in Iraq, and they want to get the word out about it.

It's free, and you can bring up to 39 relatives with you for the call.

The technology to videoconference with soldiers previously had been available in only two other Florida cities, Jacksonville and Panama City.

That changed, however, after a college administrator heard about the service on National Public Radio and realized the University Partnership Center had the necessary equipment.

Within a week, the college had contacted the Freedom Calls Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in New York, and a test call was made to Iraq.

"The video, the audio - everything was just perfect," said Lars Hafner, the college's associate vice president in charge of the University Partnership Center. "It was very powerful. When you see them face-to-face, you're just proud of them."

St. Petersburg College can put calls through to three camps in Iraq - in Taji, Fallujah and Al Assad. About 25 percent of U.S. servicemen and women are in or near those camps, Hafner said.

College administrators think there may be many families locally who could take advantage of this service.

"There are lots of servicemen and women from MacDill and the Coast Guard bases in this area," said Susan Fell, coordinator for student and university relations at the college.

The calls take place in a room that looks like a big classroom, except there are microphones at each desk and two big screens at the front of the room. A technician can focus the camera on whoever happens to be speaking.

College president Carl Kuttler said the program is inspiring.

"It brings families back together and lessens their pain," Kuttler said.

Families who aren't sure where their relatives are might be able to participate, too.

"If they don't know where their loved one is, they can still contact SPC and go through this process," Hafner said.

SPC will then coordinate with Freedom Calls Foundation and the Department of Defense.

"There will be some lag time" in finding the relative and scheduling the calls, Hafner said, "but we're committed to make that time as short as possible."

[Last modified May 2, 2006, 01:57:13]