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[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 607 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>

114th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 607

  Recognizing the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on its 20th 
                              anniversary.

_______________________________________________________________________

                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 29, 2016

Mr. Blunt (for himself, Mr. Warner, Mrs. McCaskill, Mr. Burr, and Mrs. 
 Feinstein) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
  Recognizing the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on its 20th 
                              anniversary.

Whereas, in an effort to improve the imagery intelligence, mapping, and geodesy 
        capabilities of the United States, the National Imagery and Mapping 
        Agency (in this preamble referred to as ``NIMA''), the predecessor of 
        the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (in this preamble referred 
        to as the ``NGA''), was founded on October 1, 1996, as a result of 
        President William Jefferson Clinton signing into law the National 
        Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (Public Law 104-201; 110 
        Stat. 2422), which authorized the establishment of NIMA;
Whereas the NGA derives from legacy agencies, including the Defense Mapping 
        Agency, the National Photographic Interpretation Center, the Defense 
        Airborne Reconnaissance Office, the Central Imagery Office, and the 
        Defense Dissemination Program Office, that played vital roles in the 
        defense of the United States in conflicts dating back to World War II 
        and contributed to the discipline of geospatial intelligence (in this 
        preamble referred to as ``GEOINT'') through imagery and mapping 
        production;
Whereas the NGA has, throughout its 20-year history, provided GEOINT support to 
        United States policymakers and military commanders in both war and 
        peacetime during significant national security and natural disaster 
        events, including--

    (1) the operations in the Balkans;

    (2) the response to Hurricane Katrina;

    (3) the operation that resulted in the killing of former al Qaeda 
leader Osama bin Laden;

    (4) operations against state-sponsored terrorist organizations;

    (5) the humanitarian assistance responses to earthquakes in Haiti and 
Japan; and

    (6) the continued critical mission support to members of the Armed 
Forces in the Middle East;

Whereas, with military and civilian employees serving at the NGA headquarters in 
        Springfield, Virginia, the NGA West Campus in St. Louis, Missouri, and 
        additional locations throughout the United States, and with personnel 
        deployed worldwide in more than 200 locations in 17 countries, the NGA 
        produces timely mapping, charting, geodesy, and intelligence products to 
        warfighters, first responders, civil authorities, policymakers, and the 
        maritime and aviation communities;
Whereas the NGA motto describes the many missions that were combined 20 years 
        ago upon the creation of the NGA, ``Know the Earth, show the way, and 
        understand the world'';
Whereas the NGA is the primary organization responsible for developing, 
        maintaining, and enhancing the World Geodetic System 84 reference frame, 
        the foundation for all of the Positioning, Navigation, and Timing 
        systems of the Department of Defense, including the Global Positioning 
        System (commonly known as ``GPS'');
Whereas the Maritime Safety Office of the NGA, which traces its lineage to 1869, 
        collects, analyzes, and writes the Notices to Mariners that keep 
        government, civilian, and international mariners informed about vital 
        safety and navigational issues;
Whereas the NGA also supports commercial vessels worldwide with navigational 
        products and warning messages;
Whereas, in addition to updating worldwide digital nautical charts that ensure 
        safety of navigation to a broad base of users, the NGA has expanded to 
        provide safety of navigation information to the aeronautical community;
Whereas, in recent years, the NGA has increased its--

    (1) worldwide, industry-leading aeronautical safety library to more 
than 10,000 flight procedures made available to the Department of Defense; 
and

    (2) vertical obstructions database from 4,000,000 features to more than 
24,000,000 features;

Whereas the NGA has converted from paper maps to downloadable digital maps, 
        reducing the amount of gear that pilots need to carry while ensuring 
        that those pilots always have the latest information;
Whereas the NGA continues to be a constant source of innovation, aiding the 
        efforts of the Department of Defense in counterterrorism and 
        counterinsurgency operations by using new--

    (1) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors and 
technologies; and

    (2) analytic methods, including full-motion video, hyperspectral 
imagery, overhead persistent infrared, light detection and ranging, and 
activity-based intelligence;

Whereas the NGA continues to support warfighters and intelligence operators with 
        dedicated efforts in global counterterrorism, counterproliferation, 
        mission readiness, safety of navigation, and future weapons development;
Whereas, since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the men and women of 
        the NGA have worked diligently to deter, detect, and prevent acts of 
        terrorism by providing GEOINT support to United States and coalition 
        forces in support of the Global War on Terror, including Operation 
        Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of 
        Africa, Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq, and Operation Inherent Resolve 
        in Iraq and Syria;
Whereas the NGA is commendably pursuing new methods of intelligence collection 
        and analysis to inform, complement, and add to the NGA's support of 
        warfighter requirements by--

    (1) embracing innovative cost-sharing and risk-sharing constructs with 
the commercial electro-optical satellite industry; and

    (2) looking to emerging commercial technology providers, including 
small satellite companies, that hold the promise of rapid technological 
innovation and potentially significant future cost savings to the taxpayers 
of the United States; and

Whereas the NGA has been awarded 3 Joint Meritorious Unit Awards reflecting the 
        distinctive accomplishments of the personnel assigned to the NGA: Now, 
        therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) congratulates the men and women of the National 
        Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on the occasion of the 20th 
        anniversary of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency;
            (2) honors the professional men and women, past and 
        present, of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for 
        their selfless service and dedication to the United States; and
            (3) expresses gratitude to all the men and women of the 
        National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for their past and 
        continued efforts to provide timely, relevant, and accurate 
        geospatial intelligence support to deliver overwhelming 
        advantages to warfighters, defense planners, and national 
        security policymakers in the defense and security of the United 
        States.
                                 <all>
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