Soldiers to be issued smartphones at Basic Training

MK262 · 09-23-2010, 17:53

Prior to posting this, I did a search for Iphone, Smartphones, and cell phones and turned up nothing. If this has already been posted, I apologize in advance.

Hey Soldier -- You're In the Smart-Phone Army Now!

by Mark Thompson Thursday, September 23, 2010 at 11:05 am

Remember how the Army would pretty much issue only uniforms and boots to recruits who showed up for basic training? Well, some lucky soldiers will soon be getting something extra -- an iPhone or a similarly smart phone. "We actually have a pilot study going on right now where we're issuing these things to soldiers in basic training," Lieut. General Mark Hertling said as he pulled his iPhone from a camouflaged shoulder pocket at breakfast Tuesday. Several hundred newbie troops at Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood and Oklahoma's Fort Sill will soon get either the popular Apple gimcrack or an Evo Android smart phone to make their transition into the Army go a little more smoothly. "It has everything a soldier needs to know," Hertling says.

Recruits can download Army manuals right into the devices and read them while waiting in line for chow or whenever they've got some downtime, says the three-star general, who's in charge of the Army's initial training. His fingers flit across on the touch screen, and suddenly the Soldier Creed fills the room from the iPhone's tiny speaker: "I am an American soldier -- I am a warrior and a member of a team." Hertling grins. "You say `OK, well that's kind of cheesy' -- but no, it's not -- that's how these young kids learn."

Soldiers will not only get the phones for free -- Uncle Sam will also pick up the monthly bill. But the troops will have to return them once they've finished their training, at least in the pilot program. "In the future, soldiers could potentially keep the phone for their entire Army career," an Army official said Wednesday. They might also get extra money to help pay the monthly charges.
The growing "Apps for Army" library (A4A, in Army-speak) include the Soldier's Blue Book -- the basic details of the service -- physical training and first aid manuals, an app detailing the seven Army values -- loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage -- and a "mood tracker" that lets a soldier monitor his or her psychological well-being. If the soldier is too despondent to report to P.T., there'll be an app to submit a sick-leave request. (More on Time.com: See 10 iPhone apps to help keep you healthy)

"Enormous opportunities exist for Army exploitation of commercially developed smart-phone technologies," an Army outline of the program says. "Opportunities exist to significantly enhance soldiers' and units' effectiveness and efficiencies in the conduct of administrative functions, training, leader development, access to specialized training and aided execution of military functional tasks." (Hmm....wonder if there'll be an iPhone app to translate that sentence into English?)

"The first question we got when we were talking about issuing the iPhone is well, what happens if the kid doesn't show up for his ship date and he's already been issued an iPhone -- he's going to steal it," Hertling recalls. "My initial reaction was, `Oh yea, that's a good point' -- and a young person next to me said, `You can't steal it -- it's got a geo-locator on it -- you can track the guy down and find out where he is, or just turn it off from a remote location and the iPhone's no good.'"
Hertling says the Army really doesn't "want to get into the business of issuing smart phones -- we want them to pull down the apps." But his superiors are investigating the possibility of making iPhones a nifty recruiting tool. Not only that: the iPhone is made in China. If it becomes a key tool for the U.S. Army, it could reduce the chance of war between Beijing and Washington.

Source: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2010...hone-army-now/

tyrsnbdr · 09-23-2010, 19:29

A couple of my classmates got (had) to have lunch with GEN Dempsey (TRADOC Commander) when he was visiting Ft Gordon. The General was big on two things, iPhones and WOW. iPhones because they all use to communicate quicker with everybody and there is an App for everything. World of Warcraft because it requires individuals to come together to defeat the bosses. It naturally creates a team based exercise for the group involved.

Also, AKO had a survey a couple months back on: if the Army issued a smart phone, what type would you like to have? iPhone, Blackberry, or Driod based.

I think we'll see some changes with how the Army uses technology in the near future.

Now, where can I get my issued iPhone, CIF or DOIM?

mojaveman · 09-23-2010, 20:31

The Army sure has come a long way in 30 years.

Back in '81 the only thing that I was issued other than green fatigues, black leather boots and white drawers was a little green notebook and two black ballpoint pens.

I wonder how many push-ups a recruit has to do for loosing his smartphone?

trvlr · 09-23-2010, 20:33

They can even call their mommies and daddies when they get scared.
They can browse the web instead of cleaning the barracks.
They can play mobile games while the drill sergeant is giving instruction.

Did anyone think this through? Do we have any standards for anything anymore?

Dozer523 · 09-23-2010, 21:44

When we go to the next war I hope the first thing that happens is a great big EMP. Ignore the guys shaking their useless phones and tapping on keyboards and screens. Follow the guys circling his hand above his head.

09-23-2010, 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dozer523

When we go to the next war I hope the first thing that happens is a great big EMP. Ignore the guys shaking their useless phones and tapping on keyboards and screens. Follow the guys circling his hand above his head.

Dozer, somehow I knew it would be you who'd be the first QP to respond to this thread.

For the rest of you reading, understand this.

This war, like many other wars will not be won by technology alone. Yes, troops in WWII has superior weapons over the enemy, we had better equipment, uniforms, we broke the enigma code, we developed plywood for Navy PT boats, the phillips screw driver, better explosives for shell casings to name a few.

In Vietnam we had superiority of air space, rockets, jets and bombs. An M16 far superior to an AK-47, no question. The insurgent war requires an Army who can fight gut wrenching battles, live under the worst of conditions and take the fight to the enemy on their turf.

I fear it will get worse before it really begins to suck, then it will suck some more. Only when enough people (US citizens) have seen first hand the effects of war, blood in our own streets, our schools burned, public officials murdered then they will rise up.

Our enemies have a HUMIT network that requires no iphones or text messaging. They do have requirements to secure financial funding, availability to weapons, equipment and troops. Eliminating the access to these resources is only one step in many, that's were technology assists in victory, and that's were technology stops.

Until then, follow the leader with correct and effective hand signals, and never question the resolve of a pissed-off US Army Infantryman.

kawaishi · 09-24-2010, 02:19

I first read about the iphones today in this article about how the general is trying to handle a wave injuries in the ranks of new soldiers.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congr...00923_5764.php

It struck me as odd that the Army understands that it needs to address the physical state of many initial entry soldiers, but not the way in which those soldiers think and process information. That's seems so obviously wrong to me.

If those soldiers can't adapt to functioning well without an iphone (or any gadget) they're gonna have a rough ride in life.

JJ_BPK · 09-24-2010, 03:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by wet dog

Dozer, somehow I knew it would be you who'd be the first QP to respond to this thread. ...........

For the rest of you reading, understand this.

Eliminating the access to these resources is only one step in many, that's were technology assists in victory, and that's were technology stops.

Until then, follow the leader with correct and effective hand signals, and never question the resolve of a pissed-off US Army Infantryman.

But Wait WD,,

I need to upload my sitrap to YouTube so I can get the bonus mileage on my C-card, before I go get that ammo you need.

Bolusky is hogging the band-width trying to down-load ver 87.3.6 WoW to get the squad set-up for the battle plan,

and The Blonde found a new squeeze on twitter that just sent a 25 GB picture of His new tat..

Can we put off the patrol until tomorrow??

Dozer523 · 09-24-2010, 03:56

Thanks Wet Dog. (Richard's out of the country

) And besides the 8th Grader's math extra credit problem is keeping me awake. damn! it's hard!

Quote:

Originally Posted by kawaishi

http://www.nationaljournal.com/congr...00923_5764.php

This article mentioned the "Blue Book" That was a new one one this FOG. So, BroFogs here you go . . .http://www.jackson.army.mil/sites/sc...31/The-Soldier

**Pete** · 09-24-2010, 04:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK262

..... -- and a "mood tracker" that lets a soldier monitor his or her psychological well-being. If the soldier is too despondent to report to P.T., there'll be an app to submit a sick-leave request.................

Too despondent to report to P.T.? Too despondent?????????

Now see in the old days old Sarge would have said "Too despondent? I don't give a rat's ass for your too despondent. Get your goat smellin' ass out on the PT field before I kick it over the mess hall roof."

JJ_BPK · 09-24-2010, 04:28

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dozer523

This article mentioned the "Blue Book" That was a new one one this FOG. So, BroFogs here you go . .

pre-release version??

TRADOC Pamphlet 600-4, 1 October 2010

BearW · 09-24-2010, 05:03

I'm not advocating the use of iphones and whatnot on a basic course but i have done terminal controls with a jet, in which the pilot was using an iphone for fire support calculations-apparently there is an app for that?

Secondly, some for clinical medic stuff, there are BOATLOADS of medical txts on electronic format, that you can bomb up your iphone with. I know its a step in a different directions and it's no substitute for using your brain but there are loads of useful tools on them for soldiers.

Do i think it will turn troops into social-networking, tech dependant pussies? Yes.
Do i think it serves a place on a basic course? No.
Will WoW help soldiers of today learn teamwork? hardly. If you want to build teamwork by banding troops against a common enemy, give them paintball guns or something a little less....... well.. gay.

Thoughts?

Don · 09-24-2010, 05:08

Quote:

Originally Posted by tyrsnbdr

A couple of my classmates got (had) to have lunch with GEN Dempsey (TRADOC Commander) when he was visiting Ft Gordon. The General was big on two things, iPhones and WOW...

....World of Warcraft because it requires individuals to come together to defeat the bosses.

OMG...please tell me you are just kidding. Please...

blue02hd · 09-24-2010, 05:10

BearW,
Not sure if I am following your point, but I think you should be awarded extra points for referencing WoW in your post.

LEEEEEROY JENKINS!!

Don · 09-24-2010, 05:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by MK262

-- and a "mood tracker" that lets a soldier monitor his or her psychological well-being. If the soldier is too despondent to report to P.T., there'll be an app to submit a sick-leave request. (More on Time.com: See 10 iPhone apps to help keep you healthy)

OK...obviously this is not a joke, as I had been hoping. Right now I wish I had a smart phone instead of a 5 year old beat up pre-razor POS so I could go download the mood tracker app and call in sick for work today. This thread has made me very dispondent right now...