War

Internet connects U.S. soldiers
to families, friends in Iowa

March 16, 2004

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Joyce Anderson knows that in May her son and the rest of his Army unit in Iraq might be transferred to a military base in Germany, and then back home to Perry, Iowa.

Then Anderson, 63, can deliver in person the daily greetings she has only been able to send electronically for nearly a year. In the meantime, she can stay in touch with him through the Internet, a communication tool soldiers and their families say they're thankful for.

With special access to an Army communication site called Army Knowledge Online, Anderson can e-mail her son whenever she likes. The site also allows soldiers to send instant messages to family members who are logged on simultaneously.

The Perry woman's son, Master Sgt. Dwight Anderson, is stationed at Baghdad International Airport. The airport is located in a volatile area of Iraq where several Iowa soldiers have been killed by enemy attacks.

"The Internet has saved my sanity," she said. "You get e-mails and you know he's OK."

Most armed units have access to Internet cafes, where soldiers can access e-mail and the Web for 15 minutes at a time via laptop computers. Nearly all soldies can access the Internet daily when they're not in the field, military officials said.

"They can use e-mail and the Internet on a daily basis," said First Sgt. John Talbott of the Army Reserve's 366th Public Relations Detachment, based in Des Moines. "A lot of the soldiers I have talked to have said they have no problem whatsoever getting hooked up to the Internet."

Dwight Anderson said his mother had to receive clearance from military officials before she could use the instant messaging service. He has been in Iraq since May 2003.

Anderson works out of the inspector general's office, where he has constant access to a computer and Internet connection, he said.

The time difference between Iowa and Iraq works out great for Joyce Anderson. She's often just getting up when he's finishing his work day, she said.

"I'm retired, so I get online and go to the Army Web site in the mornings," she said. "Even on days when he's not on, I send him a quick 'Hi, how are you doing?'"

Because the Internet is not a completely secure means of communication, Anderson said he's careful not to discuss details of his militar duties.

"We know that this is not a secure method, and we do not want the enemy able to access our e-mails and be able to gain intel on what our soldiers are saying online," he said. "We do not discuss anything that will be used by the enemy against us."

Maj. Edward J. Bryja, 45, of Pleasant Hill said military officials never specifically told soldiers what they can and can't say about military operations over the Internet. but soldiers are trained in operational security, he said.

"A violation of (operational security) would include any information that, if ontained by individuals or organizations that are hostile to the United States, could result in harm or injury to service member in the armed forces," Bryja said.

That wasn't enough warning for one soldier Anderson knew.

"We did find one soldier who was a Blogger and was keeping an online diary of his duty days in which he talked about raids he was on or raids that were coming up," Anderson said. "He was immediately shut down and, of course, reprimanded."

Members of the Mason City-based 1133rd Transportation Co. use a message board set up by the Globe Gazette newspaper. soldiers and their family members and friends can exchange messages.

So what's it like to be thousands of miles away from home but connected by the Internet to your family? It's nice, Bryja and Anderson agree.

Both men and their relatives use the Internet to keep up with family news and happenings. Bryja even sends birthday cards made of digital photographs to relatives on their birthdays.

Bryja was stationed in northern Iraq for 11 months before he was deployed back to the United States recently, he said. He's currently stationed at Ft. Riley, Kan.

Both Bryja and Anderson used e-mail to respond to a reporter's questions for this article.

The Andersons compare American news reports about the conflict to the word of mouth news Dwight Anderson hears in Iraq.

Also, Anderson said he uses the Internet to share stories of a soldier's life in Iraq back home with the people of Perry. Periodically, The Perry Chief newspaper publishes stories of Anderson's experiences in Iraq.

He e-mails each article to his mother, who then delivers them to the newspaper for publication.

"It really helps the soldiers get the untold stories out to their families," Anderson said. "The news only talks about the bombs and deaths and never covers the good that we do with the Iraqis."

Sure, Joyce Anderson phones her son occasionally, but she said e-mail is an easier way to keep in touch. It's easier, more timely than regular mail, she said.

"If there was no e-mail, I would probably write once a week," she said. "It's just easier this way to keep in contact."