Supporting Soldiers, families with IT

Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch/Commanding General Installation Management Command

The Installation Management community is committed to leveraging the power of technology to expand our communication capabilities and enhance our ability to serve and support Soldiers, civilians and families.

In today’s world, IT is at the core of all we do at work, at home, and at play. Smaller, more powerful, and less expensive IT products hit the market every day. Becoming savvy with state-of-the-art technology helps us work smarter, learn more efficiently, and play harder.

Over the past six months, I have visited many garrisons, listening to many members of the Army family, to better understand how they prefer to receive information and communicate. Because more than 75 percent communicate and retrieve information through the Internet and other electronic means, I now communicate through my Facebook page and the IMCOM Twitter, Flickr, and YouTube sites. This implements the deputy secretary of Defense’s Feb. 25 memorandum that requires DOD unclassified networks be configured for Internet-based capabilities like YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Google Apps.

Because IT is critical to how we do business, I made IT one of the focus areas of the services and infrastructure core enterprise. Presently, we are developing plans to modernize and standardize IT services on Army installations. The results will enhance delivery of IT in the deployment process, training and programs such as Comprehensive Soldier Fitness.

Also, look for improved IT to lead to improvements on how we deliver on our promises of the Army Family Covenant and Army Community Covenant.

The most important components of IT — telecommunications, information assurance and data processing — tie into every aspect of installation management. We use telecommunications to connect Soldiers to their families when they deploy. Tech-smart Soldiers use it when they “tweet” to friends and family through Twitter accounts.

Information-assurance measures and practices reduce risk and ensure our communications and information remain secure from attacks. IA enables Soldiers and civilians to communicate with government-issued Blackberries, knowing conversations are secure. Most of us use data processing to manage our information when we work on desktop computers, laptops, scanners and copiers.

Cell phones may be the most powerful devices of all, since they incorporate all three of these IT components.

Every day, the universe of IT products expands. Mobile handheld devices, such as smart phones, open up possibilities only dreamed of a few years ago. The convergence of cell phones, digital cameras, music players, GPS, video games, camcorders, electronic book readers and mobile web browsers rapidly change how we communicate and interact.

As the IMCOM commander, I am dedicated to embracing these new, exciting technologies and adapting them to continue to be ahead of the curve in supporting Soldier, civilian and family well-being and mission readiness.

Each generation of Soldiers brings a valuable, new perspective to the Army. It is up to us to stay in step with communication capabilities that are in synch with a quality of life commensurate with service.

We Are the Army’s Home.

Defender 6.