Stryker Brigade News

“The next best thing would be to reach out and hug them,” said Becky Dodson, wife of Sgt. 1st Class David Dodson, Company B, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry Regiment.

“It has made me feel more secure about my family back at home because I am able to see their faces and know that they are OK,” said Staff Sgt. Delwyn Lane, 21st Signal Company, who is currently deployed. “This makes it easier for me to perform my duties here in Iraq.”

The 12-hour time difference offers some challenges, but families don’t seem to mind the early morning or late night chats.

“Here in Iraq, the system the military provides as an MWR resource for the Soldiers has limited bandwidth, so getting voice and video working at the same time is next to impossible,” said Maj. Mark Collins, 172nd Brigade Support Battalion.

“Plus, we only have a few Army sponsored lines on which we are allowed to hook up web cameras in a semi-private public use area.

“We are currently working with local vendors to enable Internet access for the Soldiers in their living areas for a reasonable price,” he added. “This potential Internet access, as with all outside communication, is subject to imposed blackout periods warranted by security concerns.

“Web cameras are an incredible tool to stay connected with those close to you during a long deployment. The ability for my young sons to see me and to visually interact has kept me fresh in their lives so I am not a complete abstract to them.”

Robyn O’Crowley, wife of Sgt. Joshua O’Crowley, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, agreed the system helps the family.

"Technology today has helped us stay closer together as a family with this deployment,” she explained. “Now when my daughter brings home interviews she needs to conduct with someone in the house for homework assignments, she can get onto instant messenger with her dad and interview him.

“Without this technology, she wouldn’t be able to do that. It has really helped my children feel better to see him, tell him about their days, and show him their school work over the webcam.”

For families who do not have a computer or webcam equipment in their home, Army Community Service offers the Family Resource Center which is now equipped with computers and webcam technology.

The FRC has four computers with Internet and webcam capabilities.

“The webcams are provided so that family members can communicate with their deployed loved ones abroad in a variety of methods. Webcam video conferencing is available for the patrons to speak directly with loved ones,” explained John Crawford, deployment readiness specialist at Army Community Service.

“Video postcards can be created and sent via e-mail or other file transfer method. For those patrons without a digital camera, the webcams can also take individual photos to be saved and sent to loved ones.”

The FRC can be used for Family Readiness Group gatherings and for other meetings that support the families of deployed Soldiers.

Additional resources include a library, children’s play station, large-screen TV with DVD and VHS player and a stereo system.

“The FRC also provides the perfect environment to network with other families that are facing similar challenges,” Crawford said.

The FRC is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.