Monday December 4 8:19 PM EST
MANNHEIM, Germany (Reuter) - As the first units of the U.S. Army begin rolling into Bosnia in the coming days, the Internet will not be far behind.
One of the first battalions heading for the troubled region intends setting up an electronic mail network so that its soldiers can stay in touch with home.
The system means less reliance on letters and telephoning as ways of communicating with family and friends.
``It's a more up to date way for us to let our families know that we are OK,'' said Chief Warrant Officer Clinton Banner, who has spearheaded the project at Taylor Barracks near this western German city.
The second 72nd Signal Battalion will be one of the first U.S. units to reach former Yugoslavia as part of the initial 2,500-member NATO ``enabling force'' to create communications networks before the deployment of 60,000 NATO troops, of which 20,000 will come from the United States.
The unit is preparing to leave this week for the cities of Zagreb, Split, and Ploce on trains from Germany.
As other soldiers prepared for the mission, Banner put the finishing touches to a computer in the unit's family support center that will link up to computers in Croatia and Bosnia.
``We are making sure that we take care of our own,'' said Lt. Col. Peter Dausen, who will command roughly 250 of the 700 U.S. troops to be part of the initial NATO force.
U.S. Army units which will be sent to Bosnia after the Dayton peace accord is formally signed Dec. 14 in Paris are expected to have similar systems.
Life away from home is tough for soldiers, particularly in the harsh conditions of Bosnia, and troops said the new system will help relieve stress and boost morale.
``I will now only need a few minutes to keep in touch with my wife and kids. I won't have to gamble on whether she will be at home when I try to call,'' said one soldier.
``And I won't have to wait for a C-130 aircraft to take my letters home,'' he added. ``This will be great for taking care of the small issues that can sometimes become much bigger when you are separated.''
The e-mail system is part of the Army's milnet but users of such popular on-line services like Compuserve and America On Line can also communicate with the unit's soldiers, provided they have the right electronic address.