Soldier's Pocket Calls Home

[jams]

While in the heat of battle a soldier's phone accidently calls home and leaves a message on his parent's machine.

Afganistan has cell service?




May 8, 2008, 3:08 pm
A Soldier Pocket-Dials His Family, During Battle

By Robert Mackey
Add the increasingly common phenomenon of the accidental mobile phone call, known as a pocket-dial, to the ways in which technology is shrinking the world for military families. The BBC reports:

A U.S. couple checking their answering machine heard a frightening three-minute recording of their son caught in a battle in Afghanistan.
Stephen Phillips, 22, was fighting insurgents when his mobile phone was pressed, causing it to dial his parent’s number in Otis, Oregon.
Most of the sounds were gunfire, but swearing and shouts of “more ammo!” and “incoming!” could also be heard.

The BBC posted a recording of the answering machine message, which has been listened to more than 220,000 times since Mr. Phillips’ brother first posted the audio on YouTube.
The text posted with the audio on YouTube explains that the pocket-dial was most likely the result of the phone redialling the last number that Specialist Phillips had called:

My brother is an M.P. over in Afghanistan. He was on post on April 21st. He decided to give us a call, just to let us know how he was doing.
Nobody was home so he got the answering machine, and hung up. Just then, they started getting shot at. Somehow, his phone re-dialed, and we got this on our answering machine. He is okay.

According to The Oregonian, Specialist Phillips’s parents were concerned that they might actually overhear their son being killed.

“His friend died a year ago in Iraq and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my God, this may be the last time I hear my son’s voice on the phone,’ ” Sandie Petee told The Associated Press.
Jeff Petee said that he and his wife were getting flowers for the family of his son’s friend to mark the first anniversary of his death in Iraq when they missed the call.
“It’s something a parent really doesn’t want to hear,” Petee said. “It’s a heck of a message to get from your son in Afghanistan.”

[Cobrabill]

This wreaks of urban legend.

[Ron61]

Bill,

It could be but it was in our newspaper which is about like saying it was reported on CNN.

Ron

[jams]

The article came from NY Times.

I just don't see how it could be true.

[Excaliber]

I don't kjnow if I've ever done it, no one has said it happened, but my phone has been dialed by friends who had no idea they called me. I listen for awhile until I figure out it was likely in their pocket and an auto dial went out. I keep my phone key pad locked, have for years, to keep this kind of potentially embarrasing auto dial thing from happening.

[Doug I]

I've had my phone make calls I didn't know it made - until they called me to tell me.

[fsstnotch]

It is very possible. My Tmobile account has service here in Iraq. But we have Jamming on this base which won't let me dial out on base in most spots. I can recieve though. My sisters Husband is in Kabul and he has service on his cell. It is very possible.

[wtm442]

Originally Posted by Cobrabill

This wreaks of urban legend.

I did a search on Snopes, and there is nothing. May very well be true. The guy's parents must have been scared $hitless listening to that message.

[767Jockey]

I landed at Kuwait airport ferrying troops one hour prior to the war starting. War broke out while I was in the airplane on the field. I was talking to my wife on my TMobile phone while air strikes, missles, etc. were being launched all around me. Great service, too - crystal clear...

"No, honey, everything is fine...what do you ask?"

[jams]

I was skeptical but it sounds like it may indeed be true!

I can only imagine the per min. rate!

[fsstnotch]

For t-mobile it is $2.99/min for calls, and .35 per outgoing text. since I have unlimited texting with my plan, incoming texts are free.