Resiliency app available on Androids

By Cheryl Rodewig, Fort Benning BayonetFebruary 2, 2012

Resiliency App
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BENNING, Ga. (Feb. 1, 2012) -- The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness Resiliency Goals Book, previously released as an app for iPhones and iPads, is now available for Android users.

About 5,700 people have downloaded the app since its debut last summer, said Sam Rhodes, the action officer with the Directorate of Training and Doctrine who was responsible for getting the app developed, tested, revised and ready for use.

"(That) is just the beginning," he said. "We're setting the groundwork for years to come. The future of our country will be determined by how resilient our warriors are."

The app, which helps users gain resiliency by setting and meeting personalized goals, was spearheaded by the Systems Training Branch on post and the Signal Center of Excellence at Fort Gordon, Ga.

A digital, interactive version of the printed CSF Resiliency Goals Book released in 2010, the app supports the Army's CSF program by letting Soldiers connect their Global Assessment Tool results to practical exercises and email the feedback to their supervisors.

Rhodes said the app covers "the dynamics of our life, both professional and personal."

"In the past we have set goals during counseling sessions, conversations with our friends," he said. "We never had a device in which we can set our goals and go back and actually receive reminders that we have them."

The positive impact the use of goal setting could have on Soldiers after a deployment is "enormous," said Rhodes, who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder in 2005 after three tours in Iraq and believes resiliency could be the key to counteracting the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD.

Rhodes, a retired command sergeant major, is now an advocate for building resiliency in Soldiers.

"Goal setting has been identified by research (as) the number one thing that enhances performance," he said. "If we use goal setting to improve our performance, it will increase resilience in our Soldiers before, during and after their combat missions."

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."

HOW TO GET THE CSF RESILIENCY GOALS BOOK APP

FOR ANDROID USERS:

1. Go directly to https://market.android.com/details?id=com.fa53.resproject

2. Download the app

-OR-

1. Search the Android market for FA53.

FOR APPLE USERS:

1. Go to the app store on your iPhone or iPad

2. Search for Goal Setting -- Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

3. Download

- OR -

1. Open iTunes on your personal computer

2. Click on the iTunes Store on the left-hand side

3. Type in Goal Setting -- Comprehensive Soldier Fitness

4. Click on the app with the CSF icon.

Related Links:

Fort Benning, Ga.

Army.mil: Science and Technology News

STAND-TO!: Comprehensive Resilience Modules

Fort Benning, Ga. on Facebook