Jack Recider

Eva Mogg loved flying planes when he was a kid and signed up for junior glider classes taught by the Canadian military.

From there, he joined the military and taught other kids how to fly gliders. But his other passion was computers, and the military was offering to pay his training to learn more about computers.

From there, he joined the military and taught other kids how to fly gliders. But his other passion was computers, and the military was offering to pay his training to learn more about computers.

So he spent four years in the military and then went to work for IBM.

So he spent four years in the military and then went to work for IBM.

Hold on. It's not just like going over to France. Afghanistan, there was an active war zone, wasn't it?

Hold on. It's not just like going over to France. Afghanistan, there was an active war zone, wasn't it?

So even though he was military trained, he was in the war zone as a private contractor, and his job was to go to forward operating bases, or FOBs, to work on the network there.

So even though he was military trained, he was in the war zone as a private contractor, and his job was to go to forward operating bases, or FOBs, to work on the network there.

These fobs were often on the front line of the war zone in Afghanistan. It's dusty, war-torn, and weathered. Computers don't like these kind of environments because they're delicate and fragile, not rugged and battle-ready. So he was constantly being sent to troubleshoot computers and networking equipment that was breaking in war zones.

These fobs were often on the front line of the war zone in Afghanistan. It's dusty, war-torn, and weathered. Computers don't like these kind of environments because they're delicate and fragile, not rugged and battle-ready. So he was constantly being sent to troubleshoot computers and networking equipment that was breaking in war zones.

They set up this comm shack inside a 40-foot-long cargo sea container. And he'd go base to base, setting up or fixing the networks inside there. And there was never a dull moment.

They set up this comm shack inside a 40-foot-long cargo sea container. And he'd go base to base, setting up or fixing the networks inside there. And there was never a dull moment.

So what kind of damage had to this equipment?

So what kind of damage had to this equipment?

He says the equipment in this area would only last six months because it would get full of dust and just not last very long because of the harsh desert environment. And one day, he got word that one of the comm shacks got rocketed at another base.

He says the equipment in this area would only last six months because it would get full of dust and just not last very long because of the harsh desert environment. And one day, he got word that one of the comm shacks got rocketed at another base.

His orders are to travel there and get it back online. Traveling to these fobs takes days or weeks to get to them.

His orders are to travel there and get it back online. Traveling to these fobs takes days or weeks to get to them.

I also, I don't know why, but I'm picturing of you like climbing up a tower, adjusting, you know, getting a spanner on a satellite dish, adjusting it and getting like shot at from up there and being like, hey, it's coming from that hill. Give me cover.