Ashley McCall is a public affairs specialist with the US Army.
Today, the Army announced its first internal applications development challenge, dubbed “Apps for the Army” or A4A. Open to all Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians, A4A offers Army personnel the opportunity to demonstrate their software development skills and creativity. In return, the Army hopes to improve its current capabilities or to add new ones – all through the ingenuity of its people.
“We’re building a culture of collaboration among our Army community to encourage smarter, better and faster technical solutions to meet operational needs,” said Army Chief Information Officer/G-6 Lt. Gen. Jeff Sorenson.
Participation in A4A is limited to the first 100 Army personnel (active duty, Army Reserve and Army National Guard on active duty, and civilians) who enroll. Teamwork is encouraged but not required. The Army will recognize the top submissions at the LandWarNet Conference in August 2010. Winners will receive monetary awards; the total cash pool is $30,000.
The registration form, rules and instructions are located at the Apps for the Army Web site on the AKO portal. Rolling registration begins March 1, 2010. Apps must be submitted by May 15, 2010. Questions can be addressed to CIO/G6ArmyApps@conus.mil.
General Sorenson will be participating in a LIVE media and Bloggers Roundtable on Wednesday, March 3, at 1:30 pm EST to talk more about the “Apps for the Army” Challenge. Visit Bloggers Roundtable to listen in.
