Sergeant talks to family, students from Iraq over web cam

By Matthew Fleishman, BucksLocalNews.com

Despite being 5,000 miles away from home, defending the United States, Sgt. Michael Brown is able to spend quality time with his two children, along with teaching their classes at St. John the Evangelist Church about what it is like to serve in the military.Through the use of a web cam in the school's computer lab, Sgt. Brown speaks several times per week to his two children, Elizabeth and Matthew.

"I'm just lucky that St. John's has a really nice technology setup, and that the students are able to troubleshoot and fix any problems," said Brown over web cam from his base north of Baghdad. "We have a Q and A period so the students can learn what I'm doing over here, and I can learn about what they are doing back home."

For Elizabeth, who is in eighth grade, and Matthew, who is in sixth grade, this is an opportunity for them to stay connected with their father while he serves overseas. They are able to speak with him three or four times per week.

"It's fun for us because we are able to see him and that he's okay even though he's 5,000 miles away," said Matthew Brown.

For Elizabeth's and Matthew's classes, their father has taught them about the culture, weather and geography of Iraq, along with using a web cam.

"This is definitely a rare opportunity for the students to take what they are learning in school and then immediately apply it to a real-life situation," said Sister Joan Irene, principal at St. John the Evangelist. "Too many times, children don't see the relevance of what they are learning in school, and the value it has in the real world."

While this type of setup is not completely ideal, Sgt. Brown said it is far better for communication than the 11 years that he spent on a Navy submarine.

"This is significantly better," said Sgt. Brown. "I can talk to my family a few times each week. Back on the submarine, we couldn't even get snail mail. We went four to six months without communication."

Sgt. Brown first joined the U.S. Navy in 1981, and spent 11 years running a nuclear reactor to make power and steam for a submarine. During that time, he reached the rank of first class petty officer.

"A lot of the missions are still classified, but I can say that I did tours in the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans during the Cold War," said Sgt. Brown.

While he works for CNA Insurance when at home, Sgt. Brown joined the Pennsylvania National Guard two years ago.

"It's a job that somebody has to do, and I'm always willing to volunteer," said Sgt. Brown.

Sgt. Brown has been in a Iraq since January, and in that time his troop has worked on building three schools and helped with water purification issues in the region.

"We are involved in a lot of rebuilding projects," said Sgt. Brown. "We do anything that has to do with making the country and the people safer for when we leave."

Because of Sgt. Brown's connection with the students at St. John's, children at Iraqi schools received 20 soccer balls. Matthew collected the soccer balls as part of a service project for his class.

"It means a great deal here," said Sgt. Brown. "A soccer ball to these kids is like an iPod to our kids. I honestly think that St. John's has been a big part of what we've been able to do here."

In addition to helping kids in Iraq, the students at St. John's filled more than 160 Christmas stockings with toiletries for the soldiers in Sgt. Brown's unit before they were deployed to Iraq.

Sgt. Brown said that members of the National Guard are rarely deployed for more than a year, so next Christmas, he might be able to empty his own stocking with Elizabeth and Matthew.