An Internet Lifeline for Troops in Iraq and Loved Ones at Home

"With mortar shells exploding near him sometimes twice a day in Ramadi, Iraq, Sgt. Mark Grelak found a way to shut out the heat, the noise, and all the demands of his job — sweeping the local highway for bombs left by insurgents. In a tiny space in his barracks, he would flip open his laptop, adjust his Web camera and watch his daughter Katie take her first halting steps."

Specialist Kevin Groll, of the Michigan National Guard, took a virtual seat
at the Thanksgiving Day children's table last year, a Groll family tradition.
The family Web camera was positioned right next to the children's table. "Boy,
you did it again," Specialist Groll joked with his mother, Vicki Groll. "I'm not
even near the kiddies, and I still had to sit at the table. The kids just loved
it."

An Internet Lifeline for Troops in Iraq and Loved Ones at Home - New York Times: