Navy Mobile Apps Bring Information and Training to Your Smartphone and Tablet
By Rob Foster - Published, May 9, 2016
There are mobile applications for almost everything, and now there are apps that allow Department of the Navy active duty and civilian personnel in any location to access important information and required training on their personal smartphone or tablet. These apps will work on personal devices outside of the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI) domain.
The Program Executive Office for Enterprise Information Systems’ (PEO EIS) Sea Warrior Program (PMW 240) has been directing this great initiative. Their Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education (MPTE) Mobility Team has developed mobile applications for Apple and Android devices, bringing training courses and general Navy-centric information that includes links to key resources to your personal smartphone or tablet. This effort greatly increases the reach and number of options to fulfill training requirements and access information previously stored in hard copy manuals or Internet access only PDFs.
I just downloaded two of their recently released training apps to my smartphone: one for privacy/ personally identifiable information (PII) awareness and the other for records management (RM). These apps are fulfilling a Secretary of the Navy goal to make required general military training (GMT) accessible via mobile applications. Each is intended for all department personnel and provides a mobile version of the required DON GMT course of the same name.
The PII awareness app is a training and resource tool constructed to improve the recognition of PII and increase privacy awareness, thereby informing personnel on protecting individual privacy and safeguarding personal information. This app is also an important facet of a DON privacy awareness campaign. The RM app provides training on recordkeeping best practices and responsibilities, with guidance on minimizing hard copy records in favor of electronic records.
These are just two in an impressive array of mobile applications that PMW 240 has produced since March 2015. The story of how their first application, eDIVO, evolved is worth telling.
In summary, two lieutenants just off their tours as Division Officers came up with the idea to develop a mobile app that would provide ready access to the large volume of commonly used, but disparately located, information in one place — on their phones and tablets. During their efforts to make this a reality, they got the attention of the Chief of Navy Personnel Vice Adm. Bill Moran and convinced him of the value of their idea. Vice Adm. Moran then started the process to identify resources and engage PMW 240 to create a prototype. eDIVO, which provides anytime access to 44 PDF manuals, was the pilot that became the basis for a streamlined, repeatable process to develop other useful Navy mobile applications. I have downloaded all of them, and I encourage you to check out the options available from the Apple and Google Play stores at http://www.netc.navy.mil/Apps/.
This is a wonderful success story, and an excellent example of how an innovative idea, fueled by individual determination and receptive leadership, can triumph.
Do you have an idea for an application that would serve a DON need? PMW 240 is interested in hearing about it, from any active duty, Reserve, or civilian employee of the department. Submit your idea(s) to Navyapps@navy.mil, describing as much as possible about the problem addressed and how the app might solve it. You have an opportunity to contribute to this great solution.
Editor’s Note: To find the free training apps for PII and RM, search "Privacy and Personally Identifiable Information" "PII" and "Records Management" in app stores or in your web browser. iPhone users can download the apps from the Apple iTunes Store. Android users can get them through the Google Play store. The DON CIO website provides additional information at http://www.doncio.navy.mil/ContentView.aspx?id=7805.