GIS in Defense Installation and Environmental Management
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
GIS in Defense Installation and Environmental Management Dear Colleagues: The installations and environment (I&E) community was one of the first to use geographic information system (GIS) technology in the defense sector, so I have a particular fondness for the work you do. You have consistently led the way in implement- ing GIS to help effectively manage and administer stewardship of lands and property. The I&E community manages a complex array of problems; indeed, your work could be equated to that of a medium- A Letter from JackA Letter from sized city, except you look after everything: the environment, facilities management, land-use planning, utilities, emergency response, and security. Your GIS implementations are truly world class in scope. These stories detailing your work were first published in the GIS in the Defense and Intelligence Community series. We are recompiling the articles in a focused I&E publication because they communicate a powerful evolution in GIS deployment. The defense I&E community has gone from implementing GIS in stand-alone desktop applications to developing department- wide and installation-wide geospatial applications. You are now building a defensewide Installations Spatial Data Infrastructure. The impact of your work extends beyond defense and demonstrates pioneering models for global collaboration of spatial data. I want to use this opportunity to thank you for the work you do—it is very important. Warm regards, Jack Dangermond Installation and Environment U.S. Air Force GeoBase One Installation...One Map Installation and Environment Installation GIS links graphic features (entities) to tabular data (attributes). Air Force basing operations, whether at home or abroad, have relied on civil engineers to respond especially when the mission called for a map. Since the creation of the “Installation Engineer” role in the early 1950s to the present, surveying and mapping have always been key civil engineering tools for managing the complex installation infrastructure. The USAF GeoBase program, launched in the summer of 001 by the Air Force Civil Engineer, has transformed the traditional surveying and mapping process into an invaluable information resource for the larger installation mission, both at home air bases and in the deployed environment. What is GeoBase? It is probably easiest to begin with what it is not. It is not just an information technology (IT) system that can be purchased over the counter at a software store. It is not a capability that can be achieved by buying computer hardware and GIS software and leaving it on organizational doorsteps to be implemented. Rather, shaped from lessons learned over the past 0 years, it is a radically different and surprisingly practical strategy for guiding Air Force organizations to make long-term, shared use of geospatial information or digital maps to accomplish the shared basing mission. Most important, it is a strategy that is working. Aided by the convergence of innovations across the technology, policy, and academic research sectors and championed by the Air Force Civil Engineer, the GeoBase strategy has literally trans- formed traditional mapping. However GeoBase may be defined, in the wake of 9/11 events, the rapidly expanding demands for situational awareness within and around Air Force base opera- tions show that the GeoBase program came just in time. Building a Strong GeoBase Foundation • Ensure current GeoBase information resources are accurately inventoried and then shared to the maximum extent allowable The comprehensive GeoBase program is based on guiding to avoid wasteful redundancies. principles that echo Federal, Department of Defense, Air Force directives or widely recognized best practices for information • Validate existing sources of geospatial information prior to management. These guidelines direct Air Force organizations to investing in new data collection efforts. • Recognize the value of assigning a dedicated GeoBase cadre • Provide all mission elements with controlled, ready access to a to ensure that local geospatial information resources are georeferenced common installation picture of the installation. identified, organized, and applied to help satisfy Air Force and • Assign geospatial information stewards with the responsibility DoD needs. for maintaining and protecting their respective functional • Appreciate that paying attention to the necessary cultural information. and behavioral changes accompanying GeoBase, rather than In turn, Air Force organizations should put these principles into information technology, will be the most critical factor in operation through their “pillars” of system and information securing long-term success. architectures, financial management, policy and guidance, • Employ a strategic planning process to guide the development education and training, people, and work flow. Adhering to these and assessment of the impacts of GeoBase investments to guidelines will help ensure Air Force organizations successfully include phasing the implementation to both reduce risk and meet the rapidly growing expectations of the Air Force for the allow the Air Force culture to adapt to new ways of doing GeoBase program. business. • Adhere to a single set of Air Force-approved information technology and data standards as outlined in the GeoBase technical architecture to maximize interoperability, minimize new application development costs, and protect the GeoBase investment. Common Installation Picture 5 GeoBase Missions Garrison GeoBase Typically associated with fixed U.S. Army installations, Air Force doctrine uses the same term to describe one of two modes of Air Force basing. Garrison GeoBase enhances command and control by providing one installation map that delivers current situational awareness in a secure fashion via the base network. The Common Installation Picture (CIP) is a high-quality picture that allows viewers from their desktop computers to quickly visualize the complex built-up infrastructure using easy ”point- and-click” steps. The Garrison GeoBase information technology architecture was approved by the Air Force Chief Information Officer in October 00 and will allow current and emerging Installation and Environment Installation IT solutions across the Civil Engineer, Real Property, Command and Control, Security Forces, Weapons Safety, Environmental Management, and Communication sectors to make “one installation...one map” a reality. Expeditionary GeoBase (GeoReach) Expeditionary GeoBase supports the second Air Force basing mode. GeoReach is the name given to the expeditionary site mapping capability that involves sharing both classified and unclassified information of potential and actual forward operating locations (FOL). While the intelligence sector has focused on targeting “red force” targets within the battle space, GeoReach fills a key basing niche by allowing airmen with Secret access rights to view “blue force” FOL imagery and key infrastructure. Staff within the PACAF, ACC, and USAFE Geo-Integration Offices team with their respective operational planners from their regional areas of responsibility to optimize combat support and force deployment. The CIP again serves as the visual rallying point for compiling all expeditionary site survey data into a single view. The imagery is acquired through partnerships with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and other branches of the military. Additional software tools enable operators, logisticians, and civil engineers with aircraft parking, fuel and munitions storage, and other force bed down requirements. Because of the GeoReach process, fewer airmen go forward prior to deployment where they may be exposed to hostile conditions, yet expeditionary site planning knowledge vastly increases. Strategic GeoBase The Future Defense Installation Spatial Data It did not take long for senior leaders on the Air Staff and the Infrastructure Air Force Secretariat to inquire as to how the GeoBase program In just a few years, the USAF GeoBase program has demonstrated could be extended to meet their needs. Therefore, the Strategic how a mission-centric approach to GIS investment can rapidly GeoBase program was launched in 00 as a practical means to be adopted across a worldwide enterprise. Senior Department convey imagery and key data from Garrison GeoBase sources to of Defense (DoD) leaders have also gained a new appreciation satisfy strategic questions. Proximity of installations and ranges for the value of GIS-enabled situational awareness. In July 00, to other regions, such as urban areas, national parks, and other the Office of the Secretary of Defense established the Defense areas of political interest, is a frequent topic of discussion within Installation Spatial Data Infrastructure (DISDI) office that will serve the Pentagon. Strategic GeoBase is designed to serve as the as a new DoD focal point for securing adoption and shared use of single installation visualization tool by incorporating legacy Air geospatial information resources across the DoD. The DISDI office Force geospatial information investments such as the range will develop policies and facilitate coordination of spatial data database maintained in Airspace and Ranges (AF/XOOR). In standards, imagery, and associated geospatial technologies across addition, Strategic GeoBase will also blend with emerging the broad worldwide CADD/GIS user base in the defense sector. mapping solutions tied to homeland defense, force protection, The DISDI effort will also ensure that critical