Skip to main content

U.S. Army launches iPhone app encouraging soldiers to blog

The U.S. Army is constantly trying to cast itself as modern and “with it” in its attempt to enlist young recruits. In the era of smartphones and Tumblr, what better way to appear hip than by launching an iPhone blogging app?

The Army Stories app is will work in conjunction with a mobile website to let users “share their own Army Strong story, post comments, and learn more about Army service and the breadth of careers available,” according to a press release. Videos and photos can also be uploaded and posted.

The app isn’t restricted to soldiers, either. Any “U.S. Army supporter” can sign up through the Army Strong website.

It’s no secret that the app is first and foremost a recruitment tool for the Army — so expect to only see “stories” painting service in a positive light.

The app’s release signifies that the Army is willing to play along with social media as a communication tool for its soldiers — somewhat surprising in the era of WikiLeaks.

“It is to the great advantage of the U.S. Army to keep current and equip our Soldiers with the latest technology to ensure they continue to share authentic stories about their daily lives in the Army,” said Lieutenant General Benjamin Freakley. “The Army Strong Stories iPhone app and mobile website reinforce the Army’s ongoing commitment to embracing social media and new technology.”

It’s not the first time we’ve seen the Army embracing the power of smartphones. Last year, the Army Times reported that service was considering making iPhones or Android devices standard issue for soldiers in the field.

The Army Strong App is available as a free download through Apple’s App Store. While native app support is currently only offered for iOS, the Army Strong mobile website supports Blackberry, Android, Windows Mobile and WebOS.

Editors' Recommendations

Aemon Malone
Former Digital Trends Contributor
How to use ChatGPT on your iPhone and Android phone
The ChatGPT website on an iPhone.

While it may not quite be an all-knowing, all-seeing companion, AI has advanced in leaps and bounds in the last few years. AI chatbots have recently come into the spotlight, thanks largely to the emergence of ChatGPT -- a chatbot from OpenAI, the creators of the incredible DALL-E 2 AI image generator.

Read more
iPhone 15: release date and price predictions, leaks, rumors, and more
iPhone 15 render by 4RMD

As great as the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro are, they're both already a few months old at this point, and the rumors about the iPhone 15 are well underway. We still have several months before the iPhone 15 models drop, though, as Apple usually makes iPhone announcements in the fall. In other words, there's still a lot of time for more rumors to make the rounds -- and make the rounds they will.

We're keeping all of the reports and rumors of the iPhone 15 here in a single place for your convenience, but do remember to keep in mind that these are all still just speculation. Nothing is final until Apple confirms it during an official announcement. Still, a lot of the rumors give us an idea of what to expect each year, which is unfortunate if you like surprises. Here's everything we know about the iPhone 15 so far!
iPhone 15: models

Read more
5 things the iPhone 15 Pro Max needs to fix before I’ll buy it
iPhone 14 Pro Max in hand.

I’ve been using the top-of-the-line big iPhone for two years now. I shifted to the iPhone 13 Pro Max due to its amazing battery life – which inspired my favorite phone of 2022 article. I tried getting back to the non-Max iPhone 14 Pro, but I couldn’t stay long due to the weak battery life. Since then, I've shifted to the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

After using the Pro Max iPhones for over 18 months, here’s what I think the next big Pro iPhone — the iPhone 15 Pro Max — must improve on to deserve the best phone of the year tag again.
The design needs a lot of work
Flat edges make the iPhone 14 Pro Max uncomfortable to hold. Prakhar Khanna / Digital Trends

Read more