Two Airmen supporting Joint Task Force-National Capital Region Public Affairs, the military people who support the Presidential Inauguration, have created a cell phone app just in time for the inaugural festivities. The program, called “Inauguration”, is a free, user-friendly app that compiles news and other material related to the 57th Presidential Inauguration from across the Web.
Senior Airman Daniel Burkhardt, who codesigned the app, is just one of hundreds of Department of Defense military and civilian personnel sent to JTF – NCR in support of the inauguration. To encode the app, Burkhardt harnessed the knowledge and skill he gained while completing a degree in network engineering prior to joining the Air Force more than two years ago. His supervisor from Joint Base Andrews, Staff Sgt. Christopher Bevins, created the graphics and videos for the program and gathered information for Burkhardt. The program took them less than a week to create. From an NCR press release:
“It’s a huge opportunity,” said Burkhardt, a native of Perkasie, Pa., and a broadcast journalist assigned to 11th Wing Public Affairs. “I’m super excited that I could lend the experience I gained over six to eight months.”
“Inauguration,” which was designed to distribute Department of Defense-released information on the inauguration, collects real time updates from websites linked to it, offering the latest press releases, videos and photographs covering the historic event and preparation for it. It contains a map of the inaugural parade route, complete with global positioning that automatically orients the map based on the user’s location, and icons that pinpoint medical stations, and indicate road closures and walking routes. The app also includes security information released by the secret service and lists items event-goers are prohibited from bringing with them on site. On Inauguration Day, “Inauguration” will provide a live video stream of the event via a redirect from CNN.
