Res. No. 801 Title Resolution supporting S. 3289, which amends the state's military law by adding a new section to require the Division of Military and Naval Affairs to provide teleconferencing facilities and calling for the New York State Assembly to pass a similar bill. Body By Council Members Nelson, Brewer, Comrie, Gerson, Katz, McMahon, Reed and Sanders Whereas, S. 3289 is an act to amend the state's military law by adding a new section to require the Division of Military and Naval Affairs to provide teleconferencing facilities accessible to families of every person ordered to active duty and providing for a definition of teleconferencing; and Whereas, Given that residents of New York State in military service have been ordered to active duty, this bill would provide families with the opportunity to stay in touch with their loved ones via video teleconferencing; and Whereas, The Armed Forces recognize that communication between service personnel and their loved ones at home is vital for morale and that maintaining high morale is necessary in fighting a successful war; and Whereas, Family readiness programs are in place across the nation to cope with the unique challenges and demands of military life, especially during critical times when soldiers are deployed abroad; and Whereas, Video teleconferencing was first implemented for communication between deployed National Guardsmen and their families located in the United States in March, 2000, during the war in Bosnia, using a network that was already in place for the purpose of readiness training and command and control; and Whereas; Responding to the use of video teleconferencing for communication between deployed soldiers in Bosnia and their families, Major General Daniel James III, adjutant general of the Texas National Guard, replied, "I cannot express how thankful our soldiers are for the opportunity to speak with a family member face to face. . . These opportunities have significantly enhanced overall morale," and Whereas, There are already 74 video phone sites installed across the United States for the use of the Air Force; and Whereas, Many Americans whose deployed soldiers do not have the luxury of access to email or telephones, fear they may not contact loved ones currently stationed in Iraq until the end of the war, greatly heightening their anxiety and leaving them scanning newspapers and television news programs for glimpses of their family members in order to confirm that they are still alive; and Whereas, Although many soldiers on the front line do not have contact with their families back at home, advances in email communication and the installation of Internet cafes at some bases have alleviated many families' worries about distance and danger, and such alleviation of worries could be greatly enhanced by the addition of video teleconferencing which is currently only available for very few; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York supports S. 3289, which amends the state's military law by adding a new section to require the Division of Military and Naval Affairs to provide teleconferencing facilities and calls for the New York State Assembly to pass a similar bill.