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U.S. Army may soon equip troops with smartphones (combat gear)
CNN ^ | 7/12/11 | Mark Milian

Posted on 07/15/2011 8:40:34 AM PDT by Libloather

U.S. Army may soon equip troops with smartphones
By Mark Milian, CNN
July 12, 2011

For U.S. Army troops, smartphones could become requisite field gear, along with boots, guns and ammunition.

**SNIP**

This dry run has proved so encouraging that Army officials say they expect the first wave of smartphone-equipped soldiers could be shipped overseas later this year.

Certain members of brigades are already assigned tactical radios. The phones wouldn't replace radios, but they would be distributed more widely and would ideally operate in conjunction with older equipment, officials said.

The infantry is using smartphones to text message updates about their surroundings, send pictures with an attached GPS location, pull up maps, and quickly fill out regular reports.

"When they have a problem or need to submit a report, they default to the texting," said Michael McCarthy, an Army director for the program. "These young soldiers grew up with this technology. They're very familiar with it. They're very comfortable with it."

Systems that tap a phone's camera and GPS to overlay information on an image of nearby surroundings, also called "augmented reality," is also in development, officials said.

(Excerpt) Read more at articles.cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: army; banglist; combat; smartphones; troops
If lost, they can be deactivated.
1 posted on 07/15/2011 8:40:43 AM PDT by Libloather
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To: Libloather
I was never PBI, but whoever advocates adding gear to the soldier in the field should have to do a route march with full gear before they are allowed to advocate for adding weight.

/johnny

2 posted on 07/15/2011 8:44:33 AM PDT by JRandomFreeper (Gone Galt)
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To: Libloather

As long as they don’t MMS their junk.


3 posted on 07/15/2011 8:45:08 AM PDT by Jeff Chandler (Just once I'd like someone to call me 'Sir' without adding 'You're making a scene.' - Homer Simpson)
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To: Libloather
long range? there's an app for that!


4 posted on 07/15/2011 8:45:57 AM PDT by WOBBLY BOB ( "I don't want the majority if we don't stand for something"- Jim Demint)
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To: Libloather
Photobucket
5 posted on 07/15/2011 8:49:39 AM PDT by death2tyrants
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To: Libloather

hopefully they’re not Verizon phones


6 posted on 07/15/2011 8:51:22 AM PDT by Pietro
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To: Libloather

“Made in China”.

What could possibly go wrong...


7 posted on 07/15/2011 8:52:51 AM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (Proud ticket holder: "The Undefeated")
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To: Libloather

Lucky service provider.


8 posted on 07/15/2011 9:01:04 AM PDT by stuartcr ("Everything happens as God wants it to...otherwise, things would be different.")
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To: Libloather

So now we are going to pay to put up cell towers in the ‘Stans?

When is this going to stop?


9 posted on 07/15/2011 9:05:16 AM PDT by battlecry
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A Small Act Started It All

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10 posted on 07/15/2011 9:25:53 AM PDT by DJ MacWoW (America! The wolves are at your door! How will you answer the knock?)
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To: battlecry

Indeed So now we are going to pay to put up cell towers.

Ok you guy’s no shooting at us until we get the towers up and no blowing them up.


11 posted on 07/15/2011 9:46:06 AM PDT by Vaduz
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To: JRandomFreeper

Amen.

Make them ruck 25 miles on the hills at Ft. Knox with a SINCGARS or a 240b with a spare barrel and ammo and then grab a box full of sh*& and hold up each piece and say, “but it’s only another 6 ounces.”

Then we’ll see how important some of this gear is.


12 posted on 07/15/2011 9:51:29 AM PDT by cizinec ("Brother, your best friend ain't your Momma, it's the Field Artillery.")
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13 posted on 07/15/2011 9:56:05 AM PDT by RandallFlagg (Let this chant follow BHO everywhere he goes: "You lie. You lie. You lie.")
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To: Libloather

OK, but please equip the generals and admirals with smart brains first.


14 posted on 07/15/2011 9:57:08 AM PDT by blueunicorn6 ("A crack shot and a good dancer")
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To: battlecry
They are already there.

The average Afghan heats his mud house with dried crap, wipes his backside with his left hand, has a dirt floor, does not have electricity, and can not read. But he does have a cell phone.

This network will use some sort of areostat for an antenna.

15 posted on 07/15/2011 10:25:58 AM PDT by fireforeffect (A kind word and a 2x4, gets you more than just a kind word.)
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To: Libloather

combat tricorders.


16 posted on 07/15/2011 10:52:56 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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