von WASHINGTON — The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Resiliency Goals Book released last June as an iPhone/iPad app has seen great success with more than 7,000 downloads.
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| Goal-Setting Android App Available Click to enlarge |
Then just a month ago the same app became available to Android users and already more than 11,500 downloads have been recorded, said Sam Rhodes at the Directorate of Training and Doctrine, Fort Benning, Ga., who is responsible for app development, testing and revision.
The app helps users gain resiliency by setting and meeting personalized goals. It was spearheaded by the Systems Training Branch and the Signal Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, Ga.
As a digital, interactive version of the printed CSF Resiliency Goals Book which was first released in 2010, the app allows Soldiers, civilians, veterans and family members to connect their Global Assessment Tool results to practical exercises, then email the feedback to their supervisors.
The positive impact the use of goal setting could have on Soldiers after a deployment is “enormous,” added Rhodes, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2005 after three tours in Iraq. Rhodes, a retired command sergeant major, believes firmly that resiliency is the key to counteracting the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.
“The dynamics of goal setting we learned over the years and taught to our peers,” Rhodes said. “Goal-setting is the number one thing that our research has shown enhances an individual’s performance, whether in playing sports, planning for college or Soldiering.
“The secondary benefit of that is it takes and increases resilience, and that’s the real goal here: to take and ensure we get the most resilient warriors we can and at the same time take and increase the resiliency of our Soldiers and veterans who are challenged by some of the things they’ve seen in war,” he added.
When users download the app, they should make sure it’s the right one by looking for the CSF logo with the words “goal setting” written in yellow letters on an Army star. The app is free.
“The Android has limitations,” Rhodes said, “particularly when it comes to developing an app that will work on as many of the devices as possible. As a point of reference, the app is currently available on 934 different devices. We will continue to revise and update it to make it user friendly.”
Rhodes said the command is working on the second version of the app, which will feature other tools to enhance performance. He said it should be out by December.
To download the Android app, search the Android market for FA53.
Source:
U.S. Army
