More than 6,000 Garmin smartwatches will be distributed to Space Force Guardians to test how the service can use wearable fitness technology for new fitness programs, according to the company.
In May, the Space Force, part of the Air Force Department, signed a two-year testing period with the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to see how wearable fitness trackers could regularly monitor fitness and health. announced that it will implement Guardian health.
Garmin announced in a press release Monday that its Instinct 2 Solar and Forerunner 55 smartwatch models have been selected for the Space Force’s program because of their battery life and the biometric data the devices collect. It was also chosen because it has the ability to disable GPS functionality. This feature is important as the military has raised privacy and security concerns with wearable technology in the past.
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“Since the program was announced in May, more than two-thirds of the 8,400-strong Space Force has enrolled, and enrollment is on track,” Garmin said in a press release. “To date, more than 6,000 Garmin smartwatches have been issued to active duty military personnel who have agreed to complete AFRL-provided training records and monthly surveys, with a second wave of enrollments expected to begin in October. “
Another incentive for Guardians to enroll is exemption from the Air Force’s physical fitness assessment, which the Space Force uses in developing its own programs. It consists of push-ups, sit-ups and a 1.5-mile run.
In 2022, Space Force leaders will use fitness wearables to track exercise, diet, and sleep, instead of conducting physical exams like other services have employed for decades. He promised an innovative fitness program called ‘Health Approach’.
Details of the program were announced by the service in May of this year. It consists of his three elements. One is a voluntary continuous fitness assessment study involving wearable fitness technology. Performance health optimization including preventive medicine. And education aims to teach parents good health habits.
“By tracking two basic metrics, cardiopulmonary fitness and physical activity, we can quickly verify that a Guardian is meeting their physical requirements and is ready for the mission,” said AFRL’s 711 Human. said Dr. James Christensen, Product Line Leader, Performance Wing. said in a release. “Continuous fitness assessments conducted via wearable technology will promote higher and more consistent fitness levels across the force, which is expected to reduce injuries and stress, improve resilience, and improve overall operational performance. I look forward to seeing the results that are achieved.”
Military.com last year said Space Force data tracking, despite being marketed as a non-punitive fitness program, could lead to finer control and punishment for not getting enough exercise, according to The Guardian. reported concerns.
Parents also expressed concern that their personal information could be misused against them.
Wearable devices such as smartwatches have raised privacy and security concerns across the military. In 2018, a Pentagon memo called on military personnel in deployment areas and high-profile bases not to use fitness trackers for fear of exposing location compromises to adversaries.
A 2018 memo stated, “The rapidly evolving market for devices, applications, and services with geolocation capabilities poses significant risks to both duty and off-duty DoD personnel, and to military operations worldwide. It brings,” he said.
When announcing the details of the program in May, the Space Force said it “ensures that all metrics collected from the Guardian are fitness-related only, as well as data security regarding the use of wearable devices to monitor fitness.” We have addressed privacy concerns.”
Garmin said in a press release on Monday that its devices comply with “federal privacy and cybersecurity standards” regarding data encryption.
“We are delighted that the Garmin wearables ecosystem has passed the US Air Force’s rigorous review.
“We are conducting a cybersecurity and privacy review. The U.S. military has high security standards, and our systems protect sensitive user data,” said Scott Burgett, senior director of Garmin Health Engineering. It’s designed end-to-end for you.”
Military.com reported in May that the Pentagon is also considering expanding the use of wearable fitness trackers to help predict outbreaks of infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
According to a Garmin press release, if the Air Force Research Laboratory’s research is successful, it “could be adopted by other branches of the military and include broader DoD requirements, such as musculoskeletal injury risk.” .
— Thomas Novelly can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TomNovelly.
Related: Space Force Distributes Fitness Trackers to Parents Instead of Traditional Tests
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