I was deployed to Afghanistan last year and was able to call back home a few ways. Also it helped that I was signals intelligence.
Skype-on Bagram or Kandajar this was very popular since you can get your own internet (crappy Indian internet at least) in your B-Hut. A USB skype is great for MWR computers, but you will have spyware and/or a virus on it after you use it. Also if you use this option bring a copy of limewire or some flavour of it and tell it to not connect to the internet. Both areas are giant LANs so you can get tons of movies and music. I bought a 500 gig HD there and filled it before I came home.
Calling card- this is the simplest way on semi built up FOBs and main bases. Cheap, simple and effective. VoIP phones are everywhere in heavy duty areas. Just make sure you get a state side DSN that will transfer you out to POTS. Some airbases and guard bases in the states will transfer you for free to local numbers in the area you are calling, so make sure to ask your chain of command if anything exists like that for you.
Cell phone-it is pretty expensive but it works. Shop around for minutes at different markets through out the country. Cell phone reception goes from decent near cities and main highways to "I haven't seen a bar on my phone for the last 400 miles."
Make friends with somebody that has an iridium- About 2 months into my tour I was given a job that meant I had to travel to every corner of Afghanistan and back again. Before we left my first sergeant gave me an iridium and said to use it if SIPR/NIPR/DSN was unavailable. We soon figured out we could use it as much as we wanted so we pimped it out at remote FOBs. The guys were very thankful for that. Pretty much for 10 months we had our own personal satellite phone. There is bound to be a few others around the country in a similar situation.
Good luck and I hope you don't have to go to Konar, Korengal or Musah Qaleh.
The way I make a little extra cash is from doing freelance translation. There are quite a few companies that contract out linguist support for several languages such as Arabic (duh...), Mandarin/Cantonese and several others. The more in demand a language is the more that is paid to the translator.
I understand that learning a new language can be daunting and difficult, but I have always considered it a very geeky pursuit and a complete removal from my daily coding. Also I must amend that the Army taught me a language so I do have a leg up, but if anyone does follow this path then at the end of it they will know an entirely new language and with it come greater job opportunities and access to another culture.
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I was deployed to Afghanistan last year and was able to call back home a few ways. Also it helped that I was signals intelligence.
Skype-on Bagram or Kandajar this was very popular since you can get your own internet (crappy Indian internet at least) in your B-Hut. A USB skype is great for MWR computers, but you will have spyware and/or a virus on it after you use it. Also if you use this option bring a copy of limewire or some flavour of it and tell it to not connect to the internet. Both areas are giant LANs so you can get tons of movies and music. I bought a 500 gig HD there and filled it before I came home.
Calling card- this is the simplest way on semi built up FOBs and main bases. Cheap, simple and effective. VoIP phones are everywhere in heavy duty areas. Just make sure you get a state side DSN that will transfer you out to POTS. Some airbases and guard bases in the states will transfer you for free to local numbers in the area you are calling, so make sure to ask your chain of command if anything exists like that for you.
Cell phone-it is pretty expensive but it works. Shop around for minutes at different markets through out the country. Cell phone reception goes from decent near cities and main highways to "I haven't seen a bar on my phone for the last 400 miles."
Make friends with somebody that has an iridium- About 2 months into my tour I was given a job that meant I had to travel to every corner of Afghanistan and back again. Before we left my first sergeant gave me an iridium and said to use it if SIPR/NIPR/DSN was unavailable. We soon figured out we could use it as much as we wanted so we pimped it out at remote FOBs. The guys were very thankful for that. Pretty much for 10 months we had our own personal satellite phone. There is bound to be a few others around the country in a similar situation.
Good luck and I hope you don't have to go to Konar, Korengal or Musah Qaleh.
The way I make a little extra cash is from doing freelance translation. There are quite a few companies that contract out linguist support for several languages such as Arabic (duh...), Mandarin/Cantonese and several others. The more in demand a language is the more that is paid to the translator.
I understand that learning a new language can be daunting and difficult, but I have always considered it a very geeky pursuit and a complete removal from my daily coding. Also I must amend that the Army taught me a language so I do have a leg up, but if anyone does follow this path then at the end of it they will know an entirely new language and with it come greater job opportunities and access to another culture.