Quick Response isn't just for inspections

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Meredith A.H. Thomas
  • 916th Public Affairs Office
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  Chances are you've come across one of them before.

Perhaps you first noticed it on the back of your ketchup bottle. Or maybe you saw one at the bottom of a full-page advertisement in your favorite magazine. They've even started popping up in television commercials and on T-shirts.

Those square, pixilated barcodes, which seem to be everywhere lately, are known as Quick Response codes, or QR codes, and they have been gaining popularity as a marketing tool in the United States over the past few years.

Internet savvy companies, organizations and individuals have begun using the technology as a way to bridge the gap between real-world interactions and the entity's online presence.

The 916th Air Refueling Wing is no exception.

Recently the 916 ARW's public affairs office designed its own QR code which it intends to use as a paper-based hyperlink on promotional materials such as business cards, brochures and other tangible items.

The code, when scanned by an enabled smart phone or similar device, would connect the individual directly to the wing's official website at www.916arw.afrc.af.mil.

The public affairs office hopes that the new QR code will help boost the number of views its website gets while also capturing the fleeting attention of younger users who may one day be interested in becoming Airmen themselves.

While some gadgets come equipped with QR code scanners right out of the box, others may require a downloaded application to take full advantage of barcodes. Simply type "QR code reader" into your favorite search engine to choose the scanner that will work best with your particular technology. Then, scan to your heart's content.