(This article originally appeared in the January 2024 issue of Military Officer, a magazine available to all MOAA Premium and Life members. Learn more about the magazine here; learn more about joining MOAA here.)

The Army is rolling out a new effort to deliver real-time information within its communities, acknowledging the longtime challenge of getting the word out.

The new app, called My Army Post, is being developed by soldiers for soldiers, family members, and Army civilians and designed to be local to their installation, said Army Chief of Staff Randy George at the Army Senior Leaders Town Hall during the 2023 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition.

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George, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth, and Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Weimer emphasized the importance of giving everyone on post information they need when they need it.

A reservist in the audience reflected a frustration common to military families when he said his wife would rather deal with their cable and internet provider than to try to get information from the Army.

“We have soldiers working on this right now,” George responded. He then introduced a team of soldiers who are product engineers with the Army Software Factory in Austin, Texas, and working on the new mobile application.

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The app will be developed in iterations, starting with Fort Cavazos and adapted to installations across the Army. It will provide real-time information on installation dining facilities, gyms, medical facilities, traffic at the installation gates, weather conditions, post-wide alerts, and other aspects of life on post. A key feature is a QR code and feedback tool allowing users to send notifications if information needs updating.

“One of the things that was really impressive to me,” George said, giving an example of the app’s capability, “[is if] you want to know what the gate hours are, it’ll actually show you the gate, it’ll show you how much traffic is at the gate.”

Feedback is a priority for the app’s continuing development, George said. The Army has been seeking comments from soldiers, spouses, and Department of the Army civilians and posted an online survey to learn what capabilities would improve readiness and make on-post life easier.

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My Army Post is replacing the Army’s Digital Garrison app. It is one of the newest among various types of apps that service branches offer; for example, Navy Region Southeast released in early 2023 its new installation-focused OneApp.

The Army’s app is geared to providing “a single source of reliable, accurate, current information,” Lt. Gen. Omar Jones, commander of Installation Management Command, said at another AUSA forum.

Information flow for families is a top priority for Sherrill Isenhower, volunteer coordinator for El Paso County and spouse of Maj. Gen. James Isenhower, commander of 1st Armored Division at Fort Bliss, Texas. As a panelist at the forum focused on installation management, she noted the numerous ways leaders use to try to get messages out.

“The unveiling of this new app is going to be fantastic,” she said.