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Geospatials, “geos,” geo-intelligence, GEOINT, GIS. Geospatial
Engineers ... There are a lot of different names for the military
occupational specialty 12Y, which are an essential component of the
Army, Army Reserve and the Total Force.
Intelligent, quirky
and charming, geos are pretty easy to spot inside the 301st Maneuver
Enhancement Brigade (MEB). Not only do they usually stick together,
they are usually surrounded by maps, and are constantly engaged with
their giant computer screens drawing up the maps that will support
the commander’s next mission.
A map can be used to plan a
battle and tell troops where to go. A maneuver enhancement brigade
or transportation company might use maps to prepare a convoy route,
or to plot out locations of roadside bombs and insurgent
strongholds. But planning and preparing for combat operations in a
theatre environment are just a small part of what geospatial
engineers do.
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February 12, 2017 - From left: U;S. Army Sgt. Morgan T. Wilken, Spc. Tara
M. McTimmonds, Sgt. Noel A. Covey, work together to produce a
Combined Obstacle Overlay, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Geospatial engineers produce the maps that will support the
commander’s next mission, and are a vital component of the Army,
Army Reserve, and Total Force (U.S. Army Reserve photo by Spc. Sean
Harding)
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“Maps are universal,” said Spc. Tara McTimmonds, a
geospatial engineer with the 301st. “You use maps in
everything that you do, whether you’re in medical,
engineering, military policing or combat arms units.”
“Pretty much everybody uses maps. We’ve even done maps
for JAG.”
Using data from multiple sources such as
sensors, satellite imagery, military intelligence and from
units on the ground, geospatial engineers paint a much more
complete picture of an area than simple topographic maps, or
even services like Google Maps, can provide.
Physical
properties such as the density of soil, or the condition of
the rice patties in a field somewhere in southeast Asia, for
example, can be incorporated and used to help a commander
make a decision about where to maneuver his trucks, or where
to set up a landing site for a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter.
“It’s not just a picture of the earth’s surface from
above that we are providing,” said McTimmonds. “It’s layers
upon layers of different data.”
“At the end of the
day, we are an intelligence service” added Sgt. Noel Covey,
a 301st MEB geospatial engineer, originally from College
Station, Texas.
Searching to Destroy
“I can’t tell you
that we’re only capable of making certain products,” said McTimmonds.
“Because—“
“Every
mission is different,” added Sgt. Morgan Wilken, another
geospatial engineer in the 301st, from Vancouver,
Washington.
“The sky’s the limit,” said Covey, in
agreement.
Using computer software, geos can insert
whatever kind of information is needed by the commander for
the particular mission into their maps.
“A lot of the
time, especially in theater, the information needed doesn’t
exist until you get there,” said Covey.
“Depending
of the nature of the mission or request, if the information
isn’t already available, we will make it ourselves,” he
added.
Geospatial engineers can also work with UAV
operators to gather additional data from above, including
video from livestreams, and incorporate that data into their
maps.
While stationed in Hawaii, Wilken flew aboard
CH-47 Chinook helicopters to gather imagery to be
incorporated into her maps.
“It doesn’t happen very
often,” she admitted. “We usually outsource our data. But we
are ready to gather it ourselves, if needed.”
Common Request
One of the most common types of requests that the 301st MEB
geo-intelligence cell receives are Combined Obstacle
Overlays (COOs).
“Those are one of the
favorites,” Wilken said. “They take everything into account.
Everything from vegetation, surface materials, elevation
changes. Everything needed for a commander to make a
decision on which route she or he will use to maneuver their
soldiers from Point A to Point B.”
All three
geospatial engineers in the 301st Maneuver Enhancement
Brigade agreed that this was a vital capability to have in
order for a MEB to be effective and lethal in combat.
Passion Makes Perfect!
“I like GIS because it’s
so active and always changing. It never stays the same,”
said McTimmonds. “You’re always trying to find something,
it’s like a treasure map!”
“There’s kind of a kid
component to it, for me,” she grinned.
“Humanitarian
aid and disaster relief is a pretty rewarding side of our
job,” added Wilken.
Search and Rescue!
Units
within the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) area of
responsibility can be expected to be called up to respond to
heavy monsoons, tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic activity.
The 301st Maneuver Enhancement Brigade is situated
directly on top of the Ring of Fire, which is where 90% of
all earthquakes occur, and also contains 75% of the word’s
active volcanoes. As such, there is always ample opportunity
for the 301st MEB geos to get involved with what’s going on
in the world.
In 2010, McTimmonds was sent to Haiti
with the 100th Engineer Company out of Fort Bragg, North
Carolina, to collect data on bridge and building stability,
which was used to create response plans in the event of an
earthquake there.
In April 2015, when a major
earthquake hit Nepal, McTimmonds worked with students from
Washington State University to produce maps that were used
for rescue and recovery operations there.
“I learned
how helpful volunteering can be,” she said. “Just being on
top of your job field, knowing your MOS, and being confident
in what you can do can actually save somebody’s life.”
“There are a lot of things that you can do to
volunteer,” she added. “You can use your job skills and your
knowledge, and put them forth to the best of your ability to
help people out. It’s a gratifying, rewarding feeling.”
Getting Started
For future soldiers interested in GIS, and for current
soldiers who might be looking for a career change, Wilken recommends speaking to your recruiter
or career counselor, and research not only what military
geospatial engineers do, but also what kind of opportunities
await geos in the civilian sector.
“Check out the
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). We actually
do a lot of our training through them,” said Wilken.
“The thing about mapping,” McTimmonds piped in, “is that
it’s very broad. You can pretty much map anything.”
“I’m going for a forestry degree right now, and using my GIS
training and certifications to complement that. You can
choose a career field, add mapping to it, and use that
combination to bring some pretty incredible products into
the world.”
Reaching
for the Stars
“In 2014,” recalled Covey,
“NASA published a 3-terabyte highly detailed map of the moon
that you can use Google Earth-style to study craters, impact
basins and more, in intense detail.”
“Using GIS for planetary exploration is going to be a huge
deal in the next few years.”
“They’re working on Mars
right now,” added McTimmonds.
First Steps
“It’s been a very enjoyable field for me,” said McTimmonds.
“If somebody asked me to reclass, I wouldn’t do it.”
“I refuse to reclass!” Wilken grinned, in agreement.
“It’s awesome! There’s good people, and it’s a great
community. Go do it!” concluded Covey.
By U.S. Army Spc. Sean Harding
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2017
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