Servicemembers starting basic training in the Air Force now have a free smartphone app they can download to help them make it through what promises to be a very grueling time in their lives. Air Force Maj. Sandra Magaña says the app helps recruits improve their physical strength by providing them videos on the best way to do push-ups and sit-ups, and how to run efficiently.
The app also includes instruction on the non-physical aspects of basic training, according to the Air Force:
Other segments contained in the app include Airmen fundamentals, such as the Heritage Hall to learn the Airman's Creed, the Air Force song and core values... The Hall of Ranks has enlisted and officer ranks with insignias and a game to help learn instant recognition. The uniform issue segment has information and photos of the Airman Battlefield Uniform, physical training uniform, service and service dress uniforms.
The Air Force isn't the only branch of the military taking advantage of the latest smartphone technology. The Wall Street Journal reports the Army has started issuing iPhones and iPads to soldiers this week as part of a trial on how well the devices work in a desert battlefield environment. The soldiers are testing them out at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, and at Fort Bliss in Texas.
WSJ reporter Nathan Hodge has all the details:
