ARLINGTON, Va. (Jan. 29, 2013) – The Comprehensive Soldier and Family Fitness program launched a new social media platform yesterday, called ArmyFit, for Soldiers, their families and Army civilians.
ArmyFit is designed to offer members of the Total Army with tools and resources that will help them be more self-aware, and therefore have the ability to begin the process of self-development and self-improvement.
“Being Army fit is a state of mind in addition to having a strong physical capability,” said CSF2 Director Col. Kenneth Riddle. “The ArmyFit online platform is designed to build one’s comprehensive fitness across all areas of strength: social, emotional, spiritual, family and physical. ArmyFit will help our Army family be Army Strong both physically and psychologically.”
Understanding that self-awareness is key to self-improvement, the user begins by taking a scientifically-validated self-assessment survey, known as the Global Assessment Tool, or GAT 2.0. Once the users receive their results in the five areas of strength on the GAT 2.0, they then receive recommended tools and resources tailored to them within the ArmyFit environment.
ArmyFit is tailored to an Army audience, making the platform one-of-a-kind. Recognizing that Soldiers, their families and Army civilians face unique challenges as part of Army life, CSF2 wants to ensure members of the Total Army have what they need to be successful throughout their careers.
“The tools and capabilities of ArmyFit enable Soldiers, their families, and civilians to take control of their self-development in all dimensions of strength,” said Sgt. 1st Class Robert Trice, CSF2 program manager at Fort Carson, Colo. “I’ve provided resilience training to Soldiers at my unit, and I know that ArmyFit is an excellent supplement to formal resilience and performance training.”
“In addition to online tools and resources, ArmyFit also provides an opportunity for our Soldiers and their families to connect virtually,” said Riddle. “With constant moves and deployments, it’s often hard to connect with others that understand what you may be going through. Being able to share improvements in the various areas of fitness, compete against each other in friendly competitions, and be part of this community, will help our Soldiers and their families feel connected.”
CSF2 plans to keep adding new content and functions to ArmyFit over the coming months. These include the ability to synch a personal activity monitor’s data with the site to chart a person’s daily physical activity, and use that data to compete with other users. CSF2 is developing a geo-targeting capability that will allow users to locate experts and resources in their immediate area, and to turn virtual communities into local face-to-face group activities.
“The launch of the ArmyFit online platform is just the start,” said Trice. “As Soldiers, their families and Army civilians engage more with the platform, the more ready and resilient they will be.”
For more information on ArmyFit, visit http://csf2.army.mil.