Been getting word from someone who makes more then I do that there is cell service in Iraq... specifically T-Mobile.... Anyone know how true this is... if you do what about around the Hit, Haditha Couridor? thanks

-Roth

The only thing you are going to get from T-mobile in Iraq is a helluva roaming bill!  I believe it is $4 a minute.  You can pick up prepaid Iraqi phones for a bit under $100.  They come with about $10 preloaded and you can buy cards to get more air time.  There are few different networks to use also, Iraqna and Eezee were most common.  You can also unlock your international phone and use an Iraqi SIM card.  Then you get to use your nice US phone but enjoy the lower cost of the Iraqi network.  The Iraqi SIMS were $85 and came with $10 preloaded, same deal with purchasing more airtime as the regular phones.  I forget what the cost was per minute calling but it was much more reasonable then the T-mobile roaming.  I do remember that my text messages were $0.05 for me to send them back to the US, but my wife was being charged $0.15 per text message sending them to be because of international cost.  Just remember that your service there is not what it is in the US!  

I have an Eezee SIM card with about $5-$10 left on it, PM if you are interested.  I was going to throw it on ebay likely since my next stint will likely be in Afghan-land next anyway.  $50 shipped via PayPal.

Cell phone are a NONO for the military and contractors. They have been using them set off  IED, so are walkie talkie’s. If anyone is caught with one it’s a sure ass beating... Sat phone are on deck and can be used @ the FOB’s. The phone that MWR have work out to be a very good deal 20 bucks for like 200 min.

And as all ways! If you are sweeping a town you can always ask to use the phone…


And yes cell are being used .

Assbeating WTF?? Ya sure it is. Everyone in my unit had an IRAQNA phone, just use it at your FOB and dont take it on missions.

That’s F up I know you had Iraq personal around you at any given time right ... In fact it was so bad we had to kick the "ING" out of the damp and move them to there own camp. They were bringing all kinds of shit on base. And uxo is every wear. A phone and a little uxo.

You hit the right freak and BOOM

Cell Phones are the reason for ICE systems... Army of one right

well where we're going there is no FOB yet... we're making a new one so no MWR worth a damn... some dumb bells and a game of scrabble probibly.

Thanks for the info guys... leave in the next 2-3 days.... should be a good time...

anyone in Al Asad? if you hear that Lima 3/3 is in town come on over to visit, 2nd plt RO here...

-Roth

cool I was runing with 3/1 so hows life at ripper.

Quoted: cool I was runing with 3/1 so hows life at ripper.

Ha we're replacing you guys...what co? I'll be there this weekend... still sitting in Hawaii right now...

Lima here- one for one swap with Lima 3/1....

-Roth

Like I said before, getting a IRAGNA and using it only on your FOB is a Non-issue. Just dont take it on patrols or near the check-points and you will be fine. We used our interpreters to get most of what we needed.

Cool Beans...

Well if you call home from Iraq (a IraqI cell) that means that a Iraqi can get that phone Number  and google your info.

Not very hard...
Why would you put some you know on the line...

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Assbeating WTF?? Ya sure it is. Everyone in my unit had an IRAQNA phone, just use it at your FOB and dont take it on missions.
>>><<<<<<>>>>????????????????????????
So if EVERY one had one... And that over the min of 30 right...

IRAQNA phone X over 30 = not worth it   Army Right!

Did you get to see the kinds of shit we (as a hole) picked up in sweeps...

Just you the hook up with comm and use the SAT phone it's free

Quoted: Quoted: cool I was runing with 3/1 so hows life at ripper. Ha we're replacing you guys...what co? I'll be there this weekend... still sitting in Hawaii right now... Lima here- one for one swap with Lima 3/1.... -Roth

Im a 1371  And kicked it with Lima 3/1 2nd platoon and lived with kilo and lima 3/25...
I think 1st CEB is going to be there with you all And I have a lot boys that are with 1st CEB.

When you get to Alsad send me your info and I will send you a carepackage with some drinkable capt.
Stay safe
Fuck them TCN  

Goggle your Info HOW? The phones are bought by IRaqis, your info is never put in the sim-cards and they cant google unlisted numbers. Some FOBs arnt lucky to have sat-phones and get free phone calls at the POGUE bases. Our base was VERY primitive and we had no MWR, AT&T, Sat-Phones or anything else for that matter. You seem to speak from limited or no-experience on this matter or your from a REMF base. FYI your writing skills in english needs some work, that must not be stressed to much in the Marines.

Quoted: Goggle your Info HOW? The phones are bought by IRaqis, your info is never put in the sim-cards and they cant google unlisted numbers. Some FOBs arnt lucky to have sat-phones and get free phone calls at the POGUE bases. Our base was VERY primitive and we had no MWR, AT&T, Sat-Phones or anything else for that matter. You seem to speak from limited or no-experience on this matter or your from a REMF base. FYI your writing skills in english needs some work, that must not be stressed to much in the Marines.

OK army dog... If you say so.

Well if you ever played in western Iraq (on the roads) we swept for mines 4 you. If you ever had a ride to AQ, TQ, KV, Hit, HADITHA or Ramdi; we swept 4 you. If you ever received supplies from Alsad we swept 4 you . If you stayed at a FOB or a ASP on the west side we swept 4 you...

OK you win!

Did your unit run blue force trackers?  I’m sorry for thinking the army had better equipment; sat phone are basic load outs for us.

It must suck to be in the army.

The cool thing is you know and I know...

Did I ever say I was in the Marines  

The army does look up to us.

Have fun


OUT...

The Army looks up to you, BS, thats a total laugh. After watching how some of you do force protection and take 14 casualties at a time, no thanks.

SAT-Phones, are 1 per 136 man Company, good luck ever getting to use one.

BFT, yes we had a few, and yes we all had cell-phones and it was a non-issue. In fact one of our alternate means of commo was by cell-phone to our BN higher. We are Army, your A Marine, you do stuff different than us and vice versa. Thats where all the miss understanding comes from.

Go Naval Infantry!.

Cell phones will not set off IED's all by themselves. Not gonna happen. Cell phone initiated IED's have to be called at the number for that certain phone.

Oh, and sat phones...... all the common ones (Iridium, Thuryia etc) are a combination of a GSM and SAT capability and when you are within range of a GSM tower they do not use the satellite. So 90% of the time in Iraq your SAT phone is nothing more than a cell phone anyway, just bigger and uglier.


Food for thought for those who think SAT is safer than Cell.

Quoted: Go Naval Infantry!.

I have been in the Land O Sand for over a year, I go home in about 20 days. Anyway Iraqana cell phones are available and used every day. Private Contractors and Military alike use them, unlike what was posted above about it resulting in a ass beating.
As a matter of fact my Company issues phones and phone cards to each contractor.
I dont know where the information came from about not available and ass beating but it is pure bullshit.
The Military may not use them much but all the PMC's do on a daily basis, but I guess they may be restricted to where they may be used for the Hesgo Heroes and the Fobbits who only see the RED Zone on the news.

I picked up a $20 Iraqna card a few hours ago. Most of the hadji shops carry them or Asiacell. No mwr phone center at my fob so most everyone has cells. Heck no kbr defac either. Usually someone in a convoy will carry a cell cause bft has been known to mess with comm depending on the bft you are using. I have t-mobile but only keep it to have my voice mail.  It is around $3.29 a minute, outragous.

Iraqna has free incoming. There is a website, something like callingcards.com where you can buy a calling card for a specific area. Have your loved ones check it out. Its better then at&t.

Some good info in here, I'm taking my unlocked GSM phone with me, so I guess its no biggie to get a sim card and more minutes as needed?

Yeah, we all had Iraqna cells.
No big deal.

If you find out the the insurgents have the Sig-Int capability to track down who you're calling, PLEASE...

...contact the NSA. Let them know.