WebProNews

Members of the armed forces serving overseas turn to Internet services supported by a Naval branch.

For loved ones at home, a phone call or e-mail from a family member serving our country is always a welcome event. Over 140,000 troops are currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nearly 200 specially equipped tents house computers and other communication equipment; the majority of these cyber caf tents resides in Iraq, and has someone using them around the clock.

The system began two years ago as a civilian Naval initiative. Soldiers embraced the concept immediately.

Administrators find dust and not insurgents to be their most persistent foe. They take care of the systems, called MWRNet; MWR stands for Morale, Welfare, and Recreation. Over the past year, MWRNet's bandwidth and throughput have been greatly enhanced.

The network supports voice and data via a satellite system. Armed forces can send e-mail for free or telephone at a nominal per-minute cost.

Stateside citizens who wish to support the armed forces by purchasing phone cards for them can do so through Operation Uplink, an initiative of the Veterans of Foreign Wars supported by Walmart, FedEx, Pfizer, and other partners.

David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business. Email him here.