Categories: Archived Blogs

Military Connection: New Social App for Veterans: By Debbie Gregory

Over 8,000 Veterans commit suicide each year. That statistic averages out to 22 Veteran suicides every day. While suffering the loss of a comrade, a group of Veterans developed a new app designed to prevent other Veterans from taking their own lives.

In 2011, just a few months after separating from the Marine Corps, Sergeant Clay Hunt took his own life. Sgt. Hunt was battling with PTSD and depression. Jake Wood, who served with Hunt, attended his funeral in Houston. Wood learned that three other Marines from their unit lived near Hunt without knowing it, and without knowing how much he was struggling. Wood couldn’t help but think that if his comrades had known how close Hunt was, perhaps they could have helped him.

Wood partnered with fellow-Veterans Anthony Allman and William McNulty to create POS REP, an app that uses GPS data on your smartphone to let Veterans know when their comrades are nearby. The intention of the app is to let Veterans know that they are not alone, there are other Veterans near them who may be struggling with similar issues.

“POS REP” is military jargon for “position report.” POS REP the application is a social networking app that alerts users when they are in close proximity to a fellow Veteran, or a career or resources center for Veterans.

The app is equipped with radar function that locates other users and resources near you, and also allows you to “pop a flare” to alert the other user that you are there. The app also offers a SITREP function, allowing open chats and posts from Veterans in your area of operation. POS REP allows users to squad up with their service buddies after they transition out. The app gives users a way to display their service accomplishments and organizations through its SRB function. And the Chat function allows for private conversations between individual users, squads and Rally Points.

The POS REP application is currently available for iPhone users through the Apple App store, and will soon be available for Android users as well. No Veteran should ever feel alone, and with the POS REP app, they won’t have to.

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