Just out of high school, thousands of miles from friends and parents, and isolated by language and culture from the people around them, young airmen stationed on a U.S. Air Force base in Europe can find life pretty lonely.

But now the military's fresh faces can get a bit of the comforts of home -- by wasting their pals in an online shoot-'em-up game.

U.S. Air Forces in Europe, or USAFE, is investing about $200,000 into networked gaming centers at 14 bases scattered across the continent. All told, more than 100 Microsoft Xbox game consoles will be purchased, giving thousands of airmen a familiar new option for their downtime.

"Everything is so different here. So it's nice to have a taste of what (airmen) are used to -- a taste of America," said David Quinn, who heads the USAFE's Community Activities branch. "This is a way to get them out of the dorms, to keep them from sitting and staring at four walls."

Stars & Stripes had an article about this a little while back. My Wired News piece picks up where it left off.