III 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 397 

Recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the National Geospatial-Intelligence 

Agency. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 29, 2021 

Mr. WARNER (for himself, Mr. RUBIO, and Mr. BLUNT) submitted the 

following resolution; which was considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency. 

Whereas, in an effort to improve the imagery intelligence, 

mapping, and geodesy capabilities of the United States, 

the National Imagery and Mapping Agency, the predecessor of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (in 

this preamble referred to as the ‘‘NGA’’), was founded on 

October 1, 1996, with the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997; 

Whereas the NGA derives from legacy agencies, including the 

Defense Mapping Agency, the Central Imagery Office, 

the Defense Dissemination Program Office, the National 

Photographic Interpretation Center, and parts of the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance 

Office, and the Defense Airborne Reconnaissance Office, 


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which played vital roles in the defense of the United 

States in conflicts dating back to World War II and modernized the discipline of geospatial intelligence (in this 

preamble referred to as ‘‘GEOINT’’) through imagery 

analysis and mapping production; 

Whereas, with military and civilian employees serving at 

NGA headquarters in Springfield, Virginia, the NGA 

West Campus in St. Louis, Missouri, and additional locations throughout the United States, and personnel deployed worldwide, totaling more than 200 locations in 

more than 25 countries, NGA produces timely and relevant mapping, charting, geomatics, and intelligence 

products to warfighters, first responders, civil authorities, 

policymakers, and the maritime and aviation communities; 

Whereas, throughout its 25-year history, the NGA has provided world-class GEOINT support to policymakers and 

military commanders of the United States, in times of 

peace and conflict, during significant national security, 

humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief efforts, including— 

(1) the operation that resulted in the killing of 

former al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden; 

(2) operational GEOINT support in the space 

warfighting domain; 

(3) safety of navigation support for mariners and pilots; 

(4) support to search and rescue, response, and recovery efforts for hurricanes, cyclones, wildfires, and 

other humanitarian disasters domestically and internationally; 


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(5) countering drug trafficking and other illicit activities by transnational criminal organizations; and 

(6) continued mission support to forward-deployed 

members of the Armed Forces across the globe; 

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 terror by providing 

GEOINT support to United States and coalition forces in 

support of global counterterrorism and counterinsurgency 

operations; 

Whereas the NGA continues to support national security requirements against the strategic competitors and potential adversaries of the United States, using new intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors; 

Whereas the topographic mission of the NGA traces its lineage to the year 1777 with the Office of the Geography 

in the Continental Army; 

Whereas NGA continues to provide integrated geographic 

data, products, and services in support of the national security objectives of the United States Government by— 

(1) maintaining more than 51,000 topographic maps 

in support of global combat operations, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, and military training; 

(2) serving as the official geographic names steward 

for the United States Government, providing customers 

with more than 13,000,000 names; 

(3) assisting in the understanding and resolution of 

sovereignty issues by providing international land and 

maritime boundaries in coordination with the Department 

of State; 

(4) generating human geography data that informs 

a global understanding of the human environment; and 


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(5) producing unclassified geospatial information in 

support of national and partner efforts in the Arctic and 

to enable scientific research in the Arctic region; 

Whereas the NGA is the primary organization responsible for 

developing, maintaining, and enhancing the World Geodetic System 84 (including the Terrestrial Reference 

Frame, Earth Gravity Model, and World Magnetic 

Model), the foundation of all positioning, navigation, and 

timing systems supporting the Department of Defense, 

including the Global Positioning System; 

Whereas the NGA spearheaded an international project with 

the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to 

acquire radar data to create the first near-global, homogeneous set of land elevation data; 

Whereas, during an 11-day mission in February 2000, the 

Shuttle Radar Topography Mission flew aboard the space 

shuttle Endeavour and collected radar data on more than 

80 percent of the land surface of the Earth at 30-meter 

resolution; 

Whereas the NGA carries on the proud legacy of this project 

with the evolution to full 3-dimensional-elevation modeling; 

Whereas the Maritime Safety Office of the NGA, which 

traces its lineage to the year 1830, collects and analyzes 

data for and publishes the Notices to Mariners to provide 

government, civilian, and international mariners with 

vital, up-to-date maritime safety information that helps 

ensure safe navigation all over the world; 

Whereas the NGA also supports military and commercial vessels worldwide with navigational products and warning 

messages; 


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Whereas, in addition to legacy paper charts, NGA provides 

worldwide digital nautical charts that ensure safety of 

navigation to a broad base of users; 

Whereas the Aeronautical Navigation Office of the NGA, 

which traces its lineage to the year 1943, produces timely, relevant, and accurate aeronautical GEOINT to support more than 13,000 Department of Defense airplanes 

and their crew members, allowing them to safely navigate 

around the world every day; 

Whereas the NGA has converted from paper maps to 

downloadable digital maps and content, reducing the gear 

that pilots need to carry while also ensuring that the Department of Defense meets global airspace mandates for 

performance-based navigation; 

Whereas the NGA continues to innovate, pursuing new methods of intelligence collection and analysis to inform, complement, and add to the support of warfighter and policymaker requirements by— 

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

(2) engaging commercial technology providers, including small satellite companies and geospatial data 

analytics companies, that hold the promise of rapid technological innovation and potential significant future cost 

savings to the taxpayers of the United States; 

(3) leveraging emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, automation, and augmentation to enable 

advanced computational and intelligence capabilities; 

(4) discovering, assessing, and integrating new commercial geospatial data types and services that bring 

value to solving the complex intelligence problems of the 


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United States and supporting disadvantaged and underserved users operating in austere environments; and 

(5) investing in breakthrough technologies and capabilities that will strengthen strategic warning, mission 

forecasting, and military intelligence and improve the 

means of navigation for NGA customers; 

Whereas the NGA maintains United States GEOINT supremacy and hold the adversaries of the United States at 

bay by giving primacy to the core missions of the United 

States, serves as the world’s premier GEOINT force, and 

pursues a whole-of-enterprise approach focused on— 

(1) recruiting and training the world-class workforce 

of the NGA to lead the GEOINT community; 

(2) collaborating with both foreign and domestic 

partners on co-production of GEOINT; 

(3) leading the GEOINT community through the 

implementation of governance, standards, and enterprise 

services; and 

(4) supporting the national security interests of the 

United States by delivering to NGA customers persistent, 

accurate, secure, and timely GEOINT data, products, 

and services; and 

Whereas, throughout the years, the mission and commitment 

of the NGA has remained the same: to show the way 

by— 

(1) delivering trusted GEOINT for decision advantage; 

(2) protecting the United States by reducing strategic surprises; and 

(3) elevating the understanding of the United States 

of the world and space to anticipate potential threats: 

Now, therefore, be it 


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1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) congratulates the women and men of the 

3 National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency on the occa4 sion of the 25th anniversary of the Agency; 

5 (2) honors the professional women and men, 

6 past and present, of the National Geospatial-Intel7 ligence Agency for their selfless service and dedica8 tion to the United States; and 

9 (3) expresses gratitude to all the women and 

10 men of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency 

11 for their past and continued efforts to provide timely 

12 and accurate geospatial-intelligence support to de13 liver overwhelming advantage to warfighters, defense 

14 planners, and defense and national security policy15 makers in the defense and security of the United 

16 States. 

Æ 


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