AFRL officer creates free iPhone deployment app Published Oct. 18, 2012 By Jeanne Dailey Air Force Reasearch Laboratory KIRTLAND AFB, N.M. -- The Apple Corp. now features a free application that an Air Force Research Laboratory officer created in his spare time. The app, called "iDeploy" and available through iTunes, serves family, friends and military members as a deployment countdown timer for iPhones, iPads and iPods. Maj. Torrey Wagner, of AFRL's Laser Division, developed the countdown timer, which displays the days, hours, minutes and seconds until the military member is on the way home. It shows hundredths of seconds to indicate the time is flying by, and a photo can be included. Apple's approval of the "iDeploy" app is especially noteworthy, considering the company's rigorous approval process and high percentage of disapprovals. "The main reason I created the "iDeploy" app is that I wanted deployed Airmen and their families to have an app that was just for them, as a morale boost and something that might make the deployment more tolerable," said Wagner. Wagner said it took him about 65 hours over a two-month period to complete the app, after spending three months learning the basics of iPhone app development. Wagner offered some advice to Airmen who want to develop an app. "First, start small and use tutorial and question-and-answer websites, like stackoverflow.com, to figure out the process. Second, set realistic expectations and schedule an hour a day to learn this new programming language -- many times, I'd only figure out a solution after not thinking about it for a day. Finally, make your app something that you care about -- that will make it easier to stay motivated to put in the hours." The app is available at Apple's App Store, at http://itunes.apple.com/app/ideploy-photo-edition/id560907062?mt=8.