Building Afi Explorer

Drew Stephens / May 2021 (136 Words, 1 Minutes)

App Adventure Starts

I was deployed to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan as part of the drawdown force in early 2021. Towards the final few weeks of the deployment, I came across a post on Reddit titled “Easily search and reference Air Force Regulations” for iOS. After taking a look, I realized the app didn’t exist yet for Android and probably never would considering the developer was only focused on iOS developement. I reached out asking if he would like to network and bring it to Android. We spent the next couple of days sharing source files and discussing the intent of the app.

The last few days in Afghanistan, I got to work building the shell of the app. Planning functionality, design, and all the inner workings. When I re-deployed back home, I took a break to focus on reintegration with my family. It wasn’t another few weeks before I dived back into coding. It took a lot of trial and error as this app was the largest and most complex app I’ve ever tried to build, and at times questioned by abilities as a developer. But I didn’t get discouraged.

May 31 2021, I released the first open beta testing for the app; It was a huge hit! More than we could every imagine. It was quickly downloaded, reaching 1K downloads within the first month. This app became a useful tool for Air Force personnel, allowing them to quickly reference, view, and save Air Force and Department of Defense Instructions right from their mobile device.

View the project at: AFI Explorer

I’ll close this blog with my favorite quote:

Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. Helen Keller

We’ve only had a few people leave us with negative remarks, but it’s that criticism that keeps us fueled. We’ll continue making this app great.