GIS Highlights
Integrating geospatial capabilities for enhanced management
By Lauren Schatz, USAEC Contractor
SAN ANTONIO – The U.S. Army Environmental Command’s (USAEC) Geospatial Information & Services team uses geographic information systems and technology to support Army installation operations worldwide and help Army units and Soldiers stay trained and ready.
The team uses GIS to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze and display data to support informed decision making and land management.
The GI&S team provides support across USAEC’s four main environmental pillars of compliance, conservation, restoration and pollution prevention.
The GI&S office is located within the Environmental Solutions Division, Acquisition & Technology Branch of the U.S. Army Environmental Command. This office supports the command and installation staff with environmental intelligence and spatial information to assist in providing educated management decisions on environmental issues.
The GI&S mission is to “enable the USAEC and stakeholders of environmental programs to more effectively meet organizational goals and objectives in promoting the use of environmental intelligence to improve installation management decisions at the headquarters, region, and installation level,” said Tony Davis, the USAEC Geospatial Information Manager. GI&S also works behind the scenes to help USAEC carry out its mission to deliver cost-effective environmental services globally.
GI&S consolidates and focuses Army efforts in using GIS technology. In other words, GI&S integrates GIS to produce analytical geospatial products, thus increasing information accessibility, improving accountability and heightening the level of credibility of GIS technology. This integration makes these already useful tools even more effective for environmental management decisions. According to Davis, this capability is also helpful to assist installations with GIS support for their quarterly data calls and data layer upkeep required by Army Deputy Chief of Staff (DCS) G-9 Installation Geospatial Information & Services (IGI&S) Office for Installations
This authoritative spatial information ensures “everybody's on the same sheet of music,” Davis said. “It provides better transparency for funding and accountability.”
Read more at https://www.army.mil/article/238131