TechLifeBlogged

Despite heat, sand and bombs, enterprising soldiers in Iraq are cobbling together networks to create small ISP. Called Hajjinets, they hook into foreign ISPs via satellite links and provide near 24-hour service for about 20-30 people.

A typical Hajjinet is built and maintained by one or two soldiers and can provide nearly 24-hour internet access (until the region is stabilized and electrical lines can be installed, generators must occasionally be powered down for maintenance). Most Hajjinets are small, serving between 20 and 30 troops, but ISPs serving as many as 300 are known to exist. In a country wracked by war, where even the capital city receives only intermittent electricity, where people's lives are in constant peril, and where even basic necessities are scarce, this is no small victory.

One of the problems that they run into over there is that they don't all know about each other yet. So each Hajjinet is built from scratch. This leaves the system admin. with having to figure out everything on their own and reinvent the wheel. And sometimes that 'system admin' is basically the one person who just happens to have the most computer knowledge so they get thrown into the fire. Sgt. Dave Coughanour is tryng to change that and has set up hajjinet.com. There are forums and FAQs an other information to help out.
From Dave's site, How to Help:

Spread the word: If you know someone currently serving, ask them to pass this link on to their computer guy. We can't help anyone if we don't know who they are.

Post to the Forums: If you have a question or can answer one, please post the forums. It will greatly help us build a knowledge base that everyone can draw from.

Write an Article: Have a story on how you set up your network? Know an interesting way to do something? Want to show off some of the work your guys have been doing? Submit it and we'll get it posted.

Donate Un-Used Hardware: Rotating back to the States and have a bunch of equipment that you don't want to ship home? Give it to another unit. If you have some gear collecting dust and would like to send a care package? Post it to the forums, I'm sure someone could use it. (Please no offers for cash donations).

So, if you know anyone over there, pass it on! And tag your posts hajjinet.
Article: Hacking Iraq
Tags: hajjinet, iraq, network, hack, computer