New Mobile App to Connect US Army Leaders With Squad Members

As part of the “This is My Squad” initiative, the U.S. Army plans to introduce a new mobile app to help leaders better connect with squad members and manage everyday tasks, this October.

Sgt. Maj. of the Army Michael A. Grinston recruited a team of 15 non-commissioned officers from a variety of career fields to give feedback and help build the app’s features.

The app will be introduced at this year’s Association of the U.S. Army Annual Meeting in October. The app development squad will work with Army Futures Command to explore mobile solutions for training management, counseling and sponsorship, the army said in a statement.

“We’re really looking at how do we give a squad leader an app -- like a leader’s book -- right there in the palm of their hands,” Grinston said during a virtual town hall at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, earlier this month. “It does more than just record data.”

Grinston said he has had discussions about adding a virtual counseling feature that allows NCOs to document counseling sessions with Soldiers from their phones. The application will replace the Army Training and Doctrine Command’s “Squad Leader” app, which let NCOs and junior Soldiers access learning and development tools. No release date has been announced and development of the project will continue into the next fiscal year.

Under the “This is My Squad” initiative, or TIMS, Grinston said that leaders focus on the positive aspects of their Soldiers’ lives.

The effort involves getting to know squad members on a deeper level by building trust and learning their backgrounds. TIMS also emphasizes taking ownership and responsibility while focusing on leadership.

“It’s not about one program. It’s about the leader in the middle,” Grinston said. “And if we could focus on leadership and then all these things that are happening around us get better. It’s really looking at a positive culture where we look at things in a positive way.”

Grinston said TIMS lays the foundation for Project Inclusion. That Army-wide initiative focuses on eliminating practices that discriminate while striving to improve diversity and equity.

Building trust with other Soldiers makes difficult conversations on race possible, Grinston said.

“That’s what it means to be in your squad. You don’t shy away from those things that are hard to talk about,” Grinston said. “Because you trust that the person on the other side is a valued member of your team. They’re not going to judge you; they’re going to help you if you’re going through difficult times and you’re comfortable talking to them.”

The deaths of Minnesota resident George Floyd and Spc. Vanessa Guillen from Fort Hood, Texas, recently brought the national discussions of race to the forefront. Army senior leaders have pledged for a greater examination of racial diversity, equity and inclusion within the Army’s ranks.

In June, the service announced it would start removing official photos from promotion boards to eliminate unconscious bias. The Army also called for a re-evaluation of race disparities within its legal justice system.