Careers in coding and programming might bring to mind stereotypical offices in Silicon Valley, but one team of coders have a far different — and more dangerous — location.

The Defense Digital Service is a 27-person civilian unit providing much-needed digital assistance to the U.S. military in Afghanistan. The team rotates through one- or two-year deployments and spends their time updating the military’s network processes and software. By combining years of experience in some of the leading high-tech companies back stateside, DDS makes the military much more accurate, dependable and relevant.

“The Defense Department must move at the speed of relevancy,” Defense Secretary James Mattis told WIRED in a statement. “The Defense Digital Service team plays a critical role in meeting that commitment.”

Where can your high-tech career take you? Start with a computer science degree at a high-tech university that teaches through application and projects.

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Source: Wired