Thanks to a VFW "Free Call Day," 29-year-old MP Steven Labadie was recently able to give his mother what any military mom would want—a call from her son.

“I was able to call my mother, my grandmother and my wife!” said Labadie. “I know they worry, so it felt good to tell them that I’m doing just fine.”

Labadie is currently on his first tour of Iraq and has been in the military for a little over a year.

“I joined the Army in order to get my college loans paid off,’ Labadie said.  “Plus, my wife Traci grew up a Marine brat and I wanted the opportunity to travel as much as she did.”

What Labadie didn’t realize is that traveling that far from home requires some major adjustments.

“It’s been hard,” said Labadie. “Being away from friends and family for that long is a huge sacrifice.”

Thanks to VFW, staying connected doesn’t have to be difficult.

“The help that the troops receive while overseas shows us that there are people out there who understand the sacrifices we’ve made,” said Labadie.

VFW holds Free Call Days every month for troops in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait. Learn more at www.vfw.org/military.