Why set up an Account?
I would recommend that you get a lingo(dot com) telephone...not only for talking to him while he's deployed but also if you are planning on moving basically anywhere. Here's how it works, you signup, they give you a local (to your current area) telephone number, and no matter where you move, you will still have the same phone number...so If you move to germany, or Japan ppl that call you dial a local number! (makes em more likely to call you if it doesn't cost them anything) YOU can make calls to anywhere in the world, and it only costs like $25-$29 per month and has every feature known to mankind. I use it and the reception is great.
Now, if he's in Afganistan / Iraq, then he won't have a regular telephone (unless he buys a local cell phone) so you can't just call up the post/base and say "hey is Joe Blow there?" because he won't have a phone. You have to wait until he calls you.
Better yet, get a gmail account, provided he can get access to an unsecured pc - those are hard to find in these hell holes... but then you can see him and chat.
Hope that helped a bit. I've had lingo for a number of years and it works well. And doesn't have any of that $.02 cents a minute crap for international calls like Skype does.
in addition to the great information given already, i would add to the list an international cell phone with international rates added to your phone plan. it works almost everywhere.
It depends where he is, if he is anywhere except maybe Afganistan, he should be able to call. Again it all depends where he goes, go to Militaryonesource.com
they have a lot of resources
There are quite a few ways to communicate... from computers to MWR calls. My husband got a stack of phone-cards from supporting-companies before he left ... sometimes he will use his bosses office with permission (and when off-duty) to make a call - but has to use the phone-cards. Sometimes he goes to the MWR / Library to use the computer lab. With a webcam and an instant-message program it is almost better than a phone call because you can actually see his face. BTW, did you see this? http://militaryblog.militaryavenue.com/2009/04/free-laptops-for-our-military-families.html
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