Families with loved ones stationed abroad in the military now have a new way to communicate.
Utilizing an adaptation of OakVideo, a video conferencing system launched by Oakland County in 2001, families will be able to arrange one-on-one video conferences with members of the Armed Forces.
‘By offering this video conferencing service free of charge to our military families, we hope to shrink the distance between them and make their time apart a little easier,? said Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson.
Oakland County Commissioner Eric Wilson would like to see Orion Township become one of the first communities to take advantage of the new opportunity.
‘I think there are lots of Orion residents that can use it,? he said.
The Michigan National Guard Joint Operations Center is serving as a partner with the county, and the video conference system is based at the 1775th Military Police Company in Pontiac.
OakVideo Project Manager Bob Pence said there are some issues regarding the location of stationed soldiers that must remain secret.
‘We want to protect both the safety of our soldiers, and the privacy of the family,? Pence said.
Pence said each call should last about 20 minutes, but the planning takes much longer.
‘The coordination to make just one call can take several weeks,? he said.
To make the new conferencing system happen took several donations of labor, materials and technical support.
‘We’ve got about $81,000 of equipment that was donated,? Wilson said.
The donations and connection fees are a cost worth absorbing, according to military personnel.
‘This is a fantastic gift that has been given to us,? said Sergeant Brian Farrell, who missed out on 18 months with his own family.
‘Some people say they support the military and some people just do it,? he added. ‘We are grateful to Oakland County for this opportunity.?
Soldiers from New Jersey and Hawaii that were on hand to demonstrate the use of the system echoed Farrell’s thoughts.
‘There’s nothing like seeing your wife and children live,? one of the soldiers said, noting phone calls only go so far.
After each video conference a tape will be provided free of charge to the family.
Military families interested in taking advantage of the new service can make arrangements by contacting Epps at (517) 481-8049 or Pence at (248) 721-0928.