It's distant learning for Sgt. Jesus Ortega, but he somehow manages to fit his education in all the way from Iraq. Thanks to online courses, Ortega can do his distant learning from anywhere in the world, including a war zone. From the Lompoc Record.

For most people, traveling to a foreign country as a member of the U.S. military would be enough - missing friends and family, concentrating on chores, dodging danger. But Staff Sgt. Jesus Ortega wanted more on his plate.

While serving a five-month stint in Iraq this spring, Ortega continued taking classes for his associate's degree in fire technology from Allan Hancock College.