“Our soldiers see inefficiencies in their daily lives
and, in many cases, develop solutions,” he said.
The challenge plans to address various
shortcomings across the Army. Soldiers have
submitted ideas to an online platform detailing
solutions for tackling issues such as unit morale,
ammunition storage and the behavioral health
provider shortage.
The first round of the competition asked
soldiers to address the challenges associated
with training and shooting ranges on base. The
current software used to do so is more than a
decade old.
Of 84 initial submissions, Adams’ idea for a
mobile application to schedule and manage gun
ranges and land on Army installations across the
country in real time took the top spot.
Adams’ app will be built and tested across
the 18th Airborne Corps’ seven installations.
They hope to see the first phase of the rollout
completed within 160 days.
The 36-year-old, who’s assigned to the 101st
Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky,
spoke humbly about his win while making
breakfast for his two young children Wednesday
morning. Next week, he’ll ring the opening bell
of the New York Stock Exchange.
“Hopefully this is successful — not for me,
but for this entire program,” he told The
Associated Press.
Adams sees this competition as a no-brainer
for the Army to tap into its diverse talent.
The former recruiter refutes the stigma he
sometimes encountered that many who go into
the service have little else going for them.