Iphone – check. Facebook app – check. Perfect app for military life – um…. Hmmm. No check.
Which is why I’m so excited that the National Military Family Association Oct. 11 launched a new military life app for both iPhone and Android that connects users with a series of great resources, ideas and military life check lists.
There are no words to describe how happy check lists make me.
So, is this the military life app of my dreams? Read on to find out.
How it works: The NMFA MyMilitaryLife app, available via iTunes, Google Marketplace or here, gives users three categories or “life paths” to choose from – “spouse education,” “deployment” and “separation or retirement.” Users select one of these categories, answer a few simple questions, and then view a list of common questions followed by answers and resource explanations tailored to your profile.
For example, if I visit the “spouse education” path and tell the app that I am interested in getting a BA, the app generates a list that includes help on “where do I start?” and “what should I know before I need it?” It also gives tips on finding money for school and facts to think about before choosing distance learning. When you have read an article the app marks it as “read” by removing the blue dot next to it.
The app also syncs with an online portal, MyMilitaryLife.org.
NMFA officials said they will be rolling out updates to the app by the end of 2013 to include as many as 11 “life paths,” including PCSing and “spouse employment.”
Pros: This app gives a great round-up of things to think about for the three military specific life events it currently covers. The leading questions it asks, resources it includes and checklists of things to think about and do are logical and helpful.
Cons: At this time all of the information in the app is very general. Even though they ask you to enter it as part of your profile, if you are looking for anything specific to your service, you won’t find it here right now. The same goes for other choices in the life paths. For example, if you enter that you’re looking to get a BA as a spouse, the app will still offer you information about MyCAA, even though that program does not cover BA programs.
However, NMFA officials said that all of these generalities will be fixed as the app is updated. They said they plan to have an employee working almost full time on just this project.
Conclusion: This app is a fantastic start. Even though the information is non-specific, if the updates come out as plan this will be a great tool for any military family.
