MyMC2: Connecting Airmen with their base

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Bryan Crane
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  In the age of smartphones and mobile apps, Airmen can find nearly ev¬¬erything they need right at their fingertips. Since May 2012, the Air Force has offered an app that puts a list of base events right in their hands.

The app is called "My Military Community," or MyMC2 for short. The app is a free download in both the Android Market and the Apple App Store.

"The app works by using a live Facebook feed from base organization's pages," said Brian Kirby, 509th Force Support Squadron Health and Wellness Center director. "You open the app and it gives you the next five events at your base and you can change the settings to your preference, whether it's by day, organization or type of event."

Currently, 45 bases use the app, and Airmen are able choose the base for which they would like to view events.

"With the multiple bases that use the app, it can also help Airmen who are on temporary duty assignments find activities while they are at a new base," Kirby said.

Here at Whiteman, Airmen can browse events put on by 28 different organizations. All of these organizations' events load straight to the app; these groups include Outdoor Recreation, Youth Programs, Health and Wellness Center and the Base Exchange. The app also allows users to visit many of the organizations' Facebook pages and contact them directly.

"I feel like this is the perfect app for Airmen who live in the dorms and the new Airmen who arrive on base," Kirby said. "It allows them to easily find different activities where they can get involved in the Whiteman community and also meet new people."

Easy access to contact information is another benefit the app provides.

"One of the neatest parts of the app is easily finding phone numbers for the organizations," Kirby said. "Right from the homepage you can access the 509th Public Affairs phone number, as well as the 509th Medical Group number. If you go to the directory you can find 20 other useful phone numbers. This eliminates having to find a base phone number or call the base operator. All these numbers are right at your fingertips."

Members of the base who have already downloaded the app have expressed how useful it is.

"I downloaded the app a few months ago when I heard about it through a friend," said Senior Airman Kevin Kingsley, 509th Maintenance Squadron radar cross section technician. "Getting the app has helped tremendously in finding phone numbers fast and also finding different events on base I might want to attend. I like the information I can get from Outdoor Recreation about the different trips they offer for Airmen."

With more and more people now using smartphones, the MyMC2 app allows the Air Force to use technology to cater to a new generation of Airmen.

"The majority of military members who have a smart phone nowadays is extremely high," Kirby said. "With so many Airmen using this advanced technology, it only made sense to give them a platform to instantly and easily access all this information."

To download the app, Airmen can scan the available QR codes shown above or search "MyMC2" in their phone's app store. For more information and updates on the app go to the MyMC2 Facebook page, Facebook.com/MyMC2Support.