It looks like the FOIA request will not be necessary. I found the following:
"During its first year, the hotline staff responded to approximately 12,000 calls regarding 2,700 issues and 6,700 other requests from Wounded Warriors and Family members across the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and other locations as far away as Afghanistan, Iraq, Germany, Korea,
Japan, Philippines, Brussels, Italy, and Kuwait."
http://www.armymedicine.army.mil/med...ol2-issue4.pdf (page 4).
Doing some quick math, at $10.2 Million dollars a year, and 12,000 calls a year, this works out to $850 per call to pay for just the person answering the phone. Further, the 12,000 calls per year works out to roughly 33 calls per day. Remember, this price tag is just for "staffing and management" of the line, it does not cover the cost of the equipment, the phone call itself, advertising, etc. The total cost per call will take more data, but I would not be surprised if it tops out at more than $1000 per call.
The Wounded Soldier and Family Hotline is generally a good idea in my opinion.
My only reservation is that it should not replace good leadership by the Servicemember's commander and NCO support chain. It should be a tool, not a crutch for the command. But if the hotline works to keep some falling through the cracks, then I am all for it. However, I am astonished by the price tag.
Does anyone think this is an appropriate price to pay to answer the phone?