CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois will use advanced videoconferencing technology to connect Illinois families with loved ones who are stationed in Iraq this December. On Dec. 5 and 6, individuals and families can visit one of 17 sites around Illinois for private, interactive 30-minute videoconferencing sessions in which they can see and talk with their soldiers stationed at either Camp Al Asad (Air Force) or Camp Taji/Cooke (Army) in Iraq.
The “See Your Soldier” event is being led by the National Center for Supercomputing Applications and U. of I. Extension. The videoconferencing equipment and satellite connection in Iraq are provided by the Freedom Calls Foundation.
The videoconference sites:
- Bureau County Extension Unit, Becker Professional Suites, 850 Thompson St., Princeton
- Carbondale Extension Center, 148 E. Pleasant Hill Road, Suite 106, Carbondale
- DuPage County Extension Unit, 310 S. County Farm Road, Suite C, Wheaton
- East Peoria Extension Center, 727 Sabrina Drive, East Peoria
- Kane County Unit, 535 S. Randall Road, St. Charles
- Kendall County Extension Unit, 7775B Illinois 47, Yorkville
- Knox County Extension Unit, 180 S. Soangetaha Road, Suite 108, Galesburg
- Lake County Extension Unit, 100 S. U.S. 45, Grayslake
- Macomb Extension Center, 480 S. Deer Road, Macomb
- Madison/St. Clair Extension Unit, 900 Hillsboro, Edwardsville
- National Center for Supercomputing Applications, 1205 W. Clark St., Urbana
- Northwest Regional Extension Office, 4550 Kennedy Drive, Suite 1, East Moline
- Rockford Extension Center, 417 Ware Ave., Suite 102, Rockford
- Southern Regional Extension Office, 4202 Williamson Place, Suite 2, Mount Vernon
- Springfield Extension Center, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Building #30, Springfield
- Technology Research, Education and Commercialization Center, DuPage County Airport, 2700 International Drive, Suite 305, West Chicago
- Whiteside County Extension Center, 100 E. Knox St., Morrison
Family members must pre-register and can find more details online. Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis and closes at the end of the day on Nov. 3. When a family registers, the service member will automatically be notified by e-mail about the opportunity to visit with friends and family and will be asked to confirm his or her location and availability. There is no charge to participate.
This is the third time the U. of I. has hosted this event. In December 2005 and July 2006, more than 300 family members were able to see and speak with soldiers at Camp Taji and Camp Al-Asad by means of real-time videoconferencing at sites around Illinois.
