In September, the Department of Defense announced a series of initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of service members and their families.
This effort includes, among other things, the establishment of a health care flexible spending account for service members, policy changes to reduce permanent change-of-station costs, and improved quality of life for service members at remote and isolated duty stations. This includes efforts to improve the situation.
Efforts also include providing free wireless Internet access, or free Wi-Fi, to service members residing in barracks. The ministry directed the military to carry out a series of pilot projects to advance the effort.
However, providing connectivity is about more than just allowing service members to watch movies and play games. Brendan Owens, assistant secretary of defense for energy, facilities and environment, said free Wi-Fi for single service members is an operational issue.
Owens said he was participating in a debate Wednesday at the Center for a New American Security in Washington and was spending time talking with service members and their families.
“Every time we go to a barracks or visit…one of the questions I ask Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, parents, anyone in the barracks is, do we have 10 more square feet in our barracks rooms? Wouldn’t it be nice to have free space? Wi-Fi, what is that?” the owner said. “I don’t think it’s surprising to anyone that 19-year-olds want free Wi-Fi, and I think that’s one piece of the puzzle that there’s a clear demand signal and need there. .”
Young military personnel are often thought to be interested only in the entertainment options provided by the Internet, but Owens said there’s more to it than that.
“The other thing that I think is important is that little by little we uncover what servicemembers, especially non-commissioned officers living in single-family housing, were doing with Wi-Fi. ” he said. “They were doing things to keep in touch with their families when they were away.”
Many military personnel, especially those working in the maintenance field of combat weapons and equipment, do not have regular access to a computer with an Internet connection as part of their military work. If these service members want to engage in activities that require a computer, such as enrolling in online education, adjusting military benefits, paying bills, changing insurance, etc. [or] If you participate in online counseling sessions, you must do them on your own time and on your own computer.
“From my perspective, I think this is certainly something that is supported in other parts of the world.” [Pentagon]surely, [these are] It meets mission-critical requirements,” Owens said. [this] This is actually essential to the mission, and it’s kind of the starting point for how it all comes together. ”
Wireless Internet access allows junior service members to access personal email, banking, and entertainment options, while also requiring mandatory online training requirements, telehealth appointments, Military OneSource, Military and Family, and more. You’ll also have access to other health and life-related resources. life counselor.
The Pentagon has long-term plans to establish a “Wi-Fi connectivity force,” according to a department document. For Service Members who are traveling alone, there is not expected to be any cost to access the Internet services provided.
“We have a lot of work to do to ensure we can provide the Wi-Fi services needed to fully support our service members’ needs,” Owens said. “But from a facilities and infrastructure standpoint, it makes sense to us because we have enhanced usage leases and the transactions that we need to be able to provide this to our service members. Because we have the talent to create it in the quickest possible way. ”
Free Wi-Fi for service members in barracks is just one of the Department of Defense’s efforts to take care of service members and their families.
The September memorandum, which announced both Wi-Fi and six other initiatives, is just the latest in a series of initiatives in 2021 and beyond to improve the lives of military members and their families.
