Few takers for free video chat for Lake County military families
At a time of year when loved ones are close to the heart, a free video link to a family member who may be in danger half a world away would seem to be a nice gift.
However, takers for Operation Connect, a service that puts relatives here in touch with military personnel in Iraq, have been few.
"We haven't had much interest coming from anyone, really," said Carol Levin, director of public relations for the GLMV Chamber of Commerce.
Headquartered in Libertyville, the group also has Green Oaks, Mundelein and Vernon Hills in its membership area.
Video conferencing equipment is provided by TDS Metrocom, and anyone with a family member in the military in Iraq can use the 24-hour service at the Vernon Hills police station.
Initially, GLMV thought the reach for the service would be broader.
"There's been a couple of requests, but nothing has ever transpired from there," Levin said. "I'm surprised it's not getting more utilization."
The service debuted to fanfare and media coverage in November 2005, when two women from Joliet and St. Joseph, Mich., came to the Libertyville Police Department to speak with and see their husbands nine time zones away.
The Libertyville location closed for unrelated reasons about a year ago, but space at Vernon Hills has been available any time to any military family.
"I think it's the word getting out consistently," said Kelly Shipley, regional marketing manager for TDS. "I wish I could pinpoint exactly what it is."
Since the launch in Libertyville, TDS has installed computers, Web cam software and other equipment in several other locations, including Racine, Wis., Grand Rapids, Mich., and Minneapolis.
On the other end, military personnel must be able to get to one of four locations in Iraq: Fallujah, Taji, Al Asad and Camp Victory near Baghdad, according to Shipley.
"Scheduling seems to be the greatest issue," he wrote in an e-mail. "Because soldiers have fluctuating schedules and permission is required, it can be a challenge."
Another possible factor is the expansion of the video conferencing program.
GLMV is now one of nearly two dozen sponsors with TDS in the Midwest.
And there are other opportunities.
The Vernon Hills set-up is also part of a larger network of 10,000 public video conference sites in the United States, Japan and Germany coordinated by the Freedom Calls Foundation, a charitable organization based in Morristown, N.J.
The first hello last week from a newborn son in Edward Hospital in Naperville to Marine Sgt. William Chevalier in Iraq, for example, was part of that network. It was one of 150 "new baby conferences" that occur each month, according to the foundation.
A camera also will be set up at Chevalier's home, so he and his wife, Cheryl, can talk several times a month.
About 80 Marine families were recently connected with loved ones in conferences in Peoria, Champaign and Edwardsville, said John Harlow, the foundation's executive director and founder.
"This is full screen, like you're talking to someone in the room and you can reach out and touch them," Harlow said. "It's a question of getting the word out and letting families know."
To arrange an appointment to set up video conferencing, call the GLMV Chamber at (847) 680-0750 or visit the Operation Connect link at www.glmvchamber.org or www.freedomcalls.org.