Army knowledge: Online Army Portal
Named as the army knowledge, it is a corporate intranet site for the United States army and it is the US army’s single approved web portal. It has more than 1.9 million registered users and it is army’s only one approved enterprise class web portal. It is also known as army knowledge online. It provides details of secured assess to army assets, tools and services to employed soldiers, retirees and family members of the soldiers worldwide. Army knowledge online is the driving force in the ongoing transformation of the army of United States into a network based force which help others in today’s conflict.
Army knowledge was established in 1990’s; it was experimental outgrowth of a project, which was headed by LTC. This project leads the way to A20 which is an Americas army online. Maj Charlie wells and Maj David bailey were the two officers of army knowledge. Both of them developed, researched and expanded the portal for the army users worldwide. Its aim was to grow the system from the less than auspicious roots. Bailey joined NIPRnet to experiment and establish experiment with SIPRnet. Major Bailey is sometimes credited with baselines for projects like leader’s dashboard which is a concept and it has been partially realized. The projects have gone through many incarnations and other project leaders. It has web mail access, white pages, unification of data conduits, central capability and ability to access the contents.
Online
Army knowledge online is for army personnel, soldiers and civilian contractors. One can access to necessary information when it is required. From august 2001, all the army civilians have to have an email account. However, there are two types of accounts on army knowledge online which are a full account and a guest account. An authorized full account has active army, D A civilian, army reserves, retired, army retired, future soldiers, medical retired, NAF civilian, national guard, ROTC cadets, retired and the US military academy cadets. Guest accounts are not very similar to a full account, which includes army volunteers, incoming future soldiers, contractor, local national employee, DoD civilian, medical discharge, family member of full AKO member, ROTC cadets, federal civilian agencies, US air forces, foreign officer, US coast guard, homeland security, US marine corps, incoming DA civilian, US navy and military transition.
AKO and email
The most important function of AKO or army knowledge online is its email. This can help in passing any information faster through the chain of command. Email is the easy, efficient and fast way to pass on information. The website also stores information of soldier’s records. Previously, all the records were kept in paper files and now soldiers can take a look at their personal records. They just need to use their finger tips to do that. There are online education systems like E-learning program, army learning management system, army correspondence course program, army transcript, US army reserve virtual university and many more. These courses can help the soldiers to get promotion points and financial function allows them to access their financial records, leave and earning statement, housing allowances and food allowances with many more.