Coa st G ua r d 

Leve r ag i n g G E O I N T

PAT

T h e G e o s p a t i a l I n t e l l i g e n c e 

HFINDER

M a g a z i n e

J u l y / A u g u s t 2 0 0 7

t h e n a t i o n a l g e o s p a t i a l - i n t e l l i g e n c e a g e n c y

S u pe r B ow l Ga i n s f rom 

G E O I N T o n D e m a n d

Vol. 5 No. 4

Homeland

What’s new in

security
On My Mind

NGA Provides Key Support to Homeland Security

NGA support to homeland security and homeland defense has been and will remain a key component of 

the overall NGA mission. Hurricane Andrew, the Defense Against Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 1996, 

the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and Hurricane Katrina are key events that have shaped NGA’s support to 

the domestic mission set. 

Today we remain a nation at risk. Geographic distance no longer provides a buffer from danger and 

threats facing our nation. It is a tall order to ensure that our citizens are safe from acts of violence and 

terrorism, our cities are prepared for natural disasters, and our nation’s events are guarded from potential 

security threats. 

NGA will continue to insert geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) as the key situational-awareness enabler 

for all our domestic partners. NGA strategies, in alignment with the U.S. national-security strategy and 

national-response plan, will continue to focus on integrating GEOINT capabilities with our domestic and 

international partners in order to ensure that they are directly connected to our homeland-security efforts. 

NGA Initiatives

Consistent with NGA’s ongoing collaboration initiatives, NGA’s Office of the Americas/North America 

and Homeland Division (PMH) has instituted the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP) to 

use GEOINT from numerous sources within the United States, including local governments, to establish a 

“gold” database of vector, imagery and elevation data. Additionally, PMH has made excellent progress with 

the Cross Border Infrastructure Program (CBIP). CBIP is a joint U.S. and Canada data-sharing effort that 

ensures consistent and accurate monitoring on both sides of the U.S.–Canadian border. 

Building and Enhancing Partnerships

NGA’s partnerships with government and international entities and relationships with industry are the 

cornerstone of mission success. We will continue to build on and enhance our partnerships to ensure 

we break down barriers that may potentially hinder our national-security efforts. We are asserting our 

leadership to establish data and system standards to ensure interoperability between all partners. Our 

NGA Support Teams (NSTs) are gaining firsthand understanding of our mission partners’ most significant 

problems and do an extraordinary job providing GEOINT contributions to solving these problems. As we 

look outward to become the most collaborative partner, our domestically assigned NSTs, located at the 

FBI, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and NORTHCOM, will continue to provide real-time GEOINT 

support that will enable our partners and decision-makers to achieve their national-security goals. The 

locational and visualization expertise we provide is rapidly absorbed in the mission set of these partners.

Homeland Security Successes

The events of Sept. 11, 2001 led NGA to become increasingly involved in large-scale homeland security 

and defense efforts. Over the past year, NGA analysts and deployable teams have contributed to numerous 

successes, always in support of a lead federal agency. For example, NGA analysts worked with our commonwealth and domestic partners to make significant GEOINT contributions to security preparedness for 

the 2007 Super Bowl. Also, NGA analysts have aggressively assimilated geospatial data in support of the 

DHS southwest border security initiative and have recently released Version 2 of the Homeland Security 

Infrastructure Program Gold dataset. 

Looking Ahead

Looking toward the future, NGA will continue to leverage new and existing technologies, such as the Geospatial Intelligence Operations Support and the Battlefield, NGA Earth and eGEOINT initiatives to enhance 

data collection and dissemination to our warfighters, first responders and analysts in the field. In addition, 

the National System for Geospatial Intelligence will work to best leverage commercial products to advance 

the actionable and predictive value of GEOINT to key decision makers. As our adversaries continue to make 

attempts to penetrate our land, air and maritime borders, NGA will work in conjunction with our mission 

partners to enhance U.S. homeland-security and defense capabilities. 

 Robert B. Murrett

Vice Admiral, USN

Director

celebrating 10 years of GEO NI T

���
12 14

3

Contents

2 Letter to Our Readers

3 Coast Guard Leveraging GEOINT to Support 

Diverse Mission, by Admiral Thad Allen, 

Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

›› F E A T U R E S

5 NGA Supports Coast Guard in Developing 

Spatial Literacy

8 New “HSIP Gold” Offers More Data, Dramatic 

Improvements

10 Super Bowl Gains from GEOINT on Demand

11 New Deployables: Taking Shape and Already 

Working

12 3-D Modeling Adds a Dimension to Mapping

14 Safety of Antarctic Endeavors Depends on NGA

›› D E P A R T M E N T S

17 Partnerships: NGA and JFCOM Support Needs of 

Joint Warfighter

18 Working for NGA: “Positive Attitude” Valued by 

NORTHCOM NST Chief

19 21st Century: NGA Supports Airborne Chemical 

Plume Sensor Team

20 Our Heritage: Navy Yard’s Wall of Fame Marks 

Arrival of GEOINT

Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007 ›› Vol. 5 No. 4

On the Cover

A scene from NGA’s HarborView, an interactive navigational aid, shows 

the port of Seattle with navigational areas marked. A three-dimensional 

scene-visualization product, viewed through Harris Corporation’s InReality 

software, HarborView is used to familiarize operators with ports prior to 

actually sailing there. It includes a virtual compass and information on 

heading and speed. A related database describes the graphical features. 

NGA continues its innovative approach to homeland security with new and 

enhanced products and services, both on site and online. In this issue, the 

Pathfinder highlights a few of these innovations while spotlighting a valued 

partner in homeland defense, the U.S. Coast Guard. Graphic courtesy of 

Analytical Graphics Inc.

1 Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007
Published by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency

Office of Corporate Relations

Strategic Communications Branch (OCRNS)

4600 Sangamore Road, Mail Stop D-54

Bethesda, Maryland 20816-5003

Telephone: (301) 227-7388, 

DSN 287-7388, or

In St. Louis: (314) 263-4142, 

DSN 693-4142

E-mail: pathfinder@nga.mil

Director

Vice Adm. Robert B. Murrett

Office of Corporate Relations, Director

Paul Weise

Deputy Director

Art Haubold

Strategic Communications Branch, Chief

Louis Brune

Editor

Paul Hurlburt

Managing Editor

Jennifer Harris

Visual Communications Division, Chief

Richard Hardwick

Art Director

Laura Garber

Graphic Designer

Carmella Varriano

Contributing Authors

Coast Guard Capt. Michael Alfultis

Coast Guard Adm. Thad Allen

Julia Collins

Joanna Davis

Randall Hamilton

Juanita Hartbarger

Paul Lewis

Matt Reiner

Al Trujillo

Dr. Gary Weir

Rodney Vanderpol

GETTING PUBLISHED

All members of the geospatial intelligence community are welcome to submit articles of community-wide interest. Articles are 

edited for style, content and length. The copy deadline is the last 

Friday of the third month before publication. For details on submitting articles, send an e-mail to pathfinder@nga.mil.

The Pathfinder is the medium with which the National GeospatialIntelligence Agency enhances and promotes public awareness 

and understanding of the discipline of geospatial intelligence. The 

Pathfinder is an authorized Department of Defense publication for 

members of the Department of Defense. Contents of this publication are not necessarily the official view of, or endorsed by, the 

U.S. government, Department of Defense or NGA. Articles in the 

Pathfinder may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission, unless stated otherwise. If they are reproduced, please credit 

the author and the “National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the 

Pathfinder magazine.” Any reproduction of graphics, photographs 

and imagery is subject to the original copyright.

PATHFINDER

2Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

Letter to Our Readers

What’s New in Homeland Security

NGA’s newest mission—homeland security—continues its rapid evolution, in response 

to changes in technology and the threats 

Americans face. In spotlighting some of the 

fast-moving developments in this area, we 

chose the theme “What’s New in Homeland 

Security” for this issue.

We also spotlight one of our most important 

partners—the U.S. Coast Guard—with a guest 

column from the Commandant, Adm. Thad Allen. The past five years have seen significantly 

increased collaboration over a range of issues, 

he notes, from enhancing navigation safety with 

tools like HarborView to improving maritime 

domain awareness with all-source intelligence. Captain Michael Alfultis, Head of 

the Science Department at the Coast Guard Academy, follows in a discussion of 

the need to develop spatial literacy in future Coast Guard officers.

For innovations, we lead off with an article about “HSIP Gold”—the most versatile application of NGA’s Homeland Security Infrastructure Program. NGA has 

just issued a new version on two DVDs that contains more data and new management tools, making it significantly more robust than its predecessor.

Less tangible, but no less real, is the developing role NGA plays in special 

security events like the Super Bowl. After reading Randy Hamilton’s article, 

“Super Bowl Gains from GEOINT on Demand,” it will be clear that the situational 

awareness NGA provides at events like this is a huge asset our nation can no 

longer afford to be without.

Meanwhile, NGA’s deployable systems have become a family, ranging in size 

from a facility that moves on the chassis of a fire truck to a lunch-box-sized container that can be carried aboard an aircraft. Al Trujillo introduces the family in 

“New Deployables: Taking Shape and Already Working.”

Three-dimensional models of terrain, equipment and facilities have also 

evolved. Computer-guided milling and printing, fed by NGA’s geospatial source 

data, are providing models of unprecedented realism and detail, writes Rodney 

Vanderpol in “3-D Modeling Adds a Dimension to Mapping.” As a result, the 

number of applications and customers continues to grow.

For a change of scenery, far removed from the homeland, be sure to read 

“Safety of Antarctic Endeavors Depends on NGA” by Julia Collins. What NGA can 

bring to operations is all the more dramatic in that harsh climate.

The September-October Pathfinder will discuss NGA’s progress in each of the 

12 Focus Areas senior leaders identified toward the end of last year. We will also 

look back on 10 years of GEOINT, as NGA completes the yearlong celebration of 

the 10th year since its establishment by Congress.

Paul R. Weise

Director, Office of Corporate Relations
visualize intelligence information in a geospatially precise 

manner. HarborView is a three-dimensional scene-visualization model used to familiarize operators with ports 

prior to actually sailing there. Not only does it provide for 

safety of navigation, it also enables operational training, 

mission planning and mission rehearsal. 

Improving maritime domain awareness (MDA) is one 

of the Coast Guard’s strategic priorities. All-source intelligence capabilities, combined with traditional sources 

and methods, provide unprecedented MDA about vessels, 

people, cargo, weather, environment and infrastructure. 

The Coast Guard Intelligence Program is partnering with 

NGA and other members of the Intelligence Community 

to ensure information and analytical capabilities are best 

leveraged to improve MDA. DHS and the Department of 

Defense are co-leading the MDA Implementation Team, 

which is working to develop a more collaborative intelligence- and information-sharing environment, including 

both systems and processes, for sensing, collecting, 

Today our nation faces threats unlike any we have 

experienced before. Aside from the constant challenge 

of protecting the homeland from those who desire to do 

us harm, we must concern ourselves with piracy, illegal 

immigration and smuggling, terrorism, arms proliferation, 

natural disasters and environmental crimes. With 95 percent of the U.S. international commerce moving through 

our ports, our nation’s economic health is also dependent 

on ensuring our coasts, ports and inland waterways are 

secure. As the principal federal agency charged with maritime safety, security and stewardship of U.S. waters and 

coastlines, the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) is always ready 

to protect and respond.

Over the past five years, collaboration between NGA 

and USCG has increased considerably. We are working 

side by side to best identify ways to leverage NGA’s 

support to the diverse mission areas of the Coast Guard. 

Through the NGA Support Team assigned to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and direct support to 

Coast Guard units, NGA’s geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) 

products are providing commanders, planners and operators with the situational awareness needed prior to and 

during operations. Several recent examples demonstrate 

this successful partnership.

Take, for example, NGA’s recent partnership with Coast 

Guard Search and Rescue to successfully locate an overdue vessel. As a result of this mission success, the two 

agencies now realize that NGA has much to contribute to 

search and rescue operations. I foresee these efforts expanding to other mission areas of the Coast Guard where 

access to intelligence information in a timely manner is 

critical to mission success.

NGA has also provided a number of GEOINT products 

that have given operational advantage to the Coast Guard. 

Two NGA-specific products that provide invaluable situational awareness, Geospatial Intelligence for Operations 

Support and the Battlefield (GIB) and HarborView, have 

become an integral part of the deployment package supporting the Maritime Safety Response Teams. With the 

GIB, a mobile visualization tool provided on DVD, users 

have the capability to define the area of operations and 

Guest Column

Coast Guard Leveraging GEOINT to Support 

Diverse Mission

By Adm. Thad Allen, Commandant, U. S. Coast Guard

3Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, climbs the 

foremast of the Coast Guard Cutter Barque Eagle during a cruise along 

the Potomac River. The Coast Guard is partnering with NGA and other 

members of the Intelligence Community to ensure information and analytical 

capabilities are best leveraged to improve maritime domain awareness.

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 

2nd Class Susan Blake
fusing, analyzing and disseminating information. NGA has 

the lead to provide the geospatial foundation, or common 

operational picture, for this effort.

NGA’s support to the Coast Guard during and after 

Hurricane Katrina cannot be overstated. NGA deployed 

numerous analysts and two Mobile Integrated Geospatial 

4Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007 

Intelligence Systems to provide on-the-ground support. 

Additionally, on behalf of the Coast Guard, NGA’s World 

Wide Navigational Warning Service radio desk transmitted 

navigation safety messages to the U.S. Navy and U.S. 

Merchant Marine about port closures and waterway conditions in the New Orleans area while we repaired systems 

damaged by the hurricane. 

Our NGA-USCG partnership is important, not just in 

responding to natural disasters, but also in preparing for 

natural disasters. This year, in support of the Environmental Protection Agency and USCG co-sponsored “Spill 

of National Significance 2007 Exercise” (SONS 07), NGA 

will forward-deploy the Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial Intelligence System. SONS 07, the first exercise 

to use a national disaster as a major incident, will focus 

on issues pertaining to catastrophic oil and hazardous 

substance releases within the Ohio River Valleys, triggered 

by a major earthquake along the New Madrid, Mo., fault 

and a tornado in the Great Lakes region.

These examples are just a sample of the numerous success stories demonstrating the synergy of the NGA-Coast 

Guard relationship. As we continue to safeguard America 

against the threats and hazards of today and tomorrow, 

partnerships with agencies like NGA are vital to continued 

success. I look forward to our ongoing collaboration as 

we work together to help keep America safe, secure and 

prepared. P

A Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security team, from Coast Guard Island in 

Alameda, Calif., demonstrates boat tactics in San Francisco Bay. 

A Coast Guard helicopter passes over Washington, D.C., during an air 

defense training mission. The Coast Guard has been tasked with intercepting 

low-flying, slow speed aircraft in restricted air space over Washington, D.C. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Public Affairs Specialist 

1st Class John Edwards

U.S. Coast Guard photo by Public 

Affairs Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan 

R. Cilley
5Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

NGA Supports Coast Guard in Developing Spatial 

Literacy

By Capt. Michael Alfultis

Watch-standers and command cadre in the U.S. 

Coast Guard have long had to concern themselves with 

acquiring, displaying and analyzing geospatial information 

for decision-making. Geospatial information is required 

for safely navigating a vessel, locating vessels in distress, 

managing vessel traffic in or out of major ports and responding to casualty and marine pollution incidents. 

In recent years, an increased emphasis on maritime 

domain awareness, combined with new technologies, has 

greatly increased the importance of developing “spatial 

literacy” in Coast Guard officers. Spatial literacy—proficiency in using spatial knowledge and skills—has become 

vital to mission accomplishment.

NGA is contributing to efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard 

Academy to develop the spatial literacy of the Coast 

Guard’s future officers.

Importance of Spatial Literacy

Geospatial technologies have become increasingly 

important on all levels—from the national strategic level 

to the Coast Guard strategic level down to unit operational 

and tactical levels. At the national level, geospatial technologies support all six of the critical mission areas 

of National Homeland Security Strategy:

›› intelligence and warning 

›› border and transportation security 

›› domestic counterterrorism

›› protecting critical infrastructures

›› defending against catastrophic threats 

›› emergency preparedness and response. 

At the same time, the Coast Guard is building a process 

and infrastructure for maritime domain awareness that 

will be vital to the fulfillment of the Coast Guard’s homeland-security responsibilities. Achieving maritime domain 

awareness requires:

›› collecting maritime data, information and intelligence

›› collating, correlating, analyzing and interpreting the 

collected material

›› providing effective assessment, actionable intelligence and relevant knowledge

›› disseminating intelligence to appropriate federal, 

state, local, private and international stakeholders.

At the unit operational and tactical level, geospatial 

technologies have proven critical to maintaining situational awareness and effective communications before, 

during and after national security events and federal 

disaster response and recovery actions. 

Many current and planned operational, intelligence and 

business-information systems are based on geospatial 

technologies: 

›› Coast Guard Common Operational Picture, which 

uses an interactive digital map to share information 

across computer networks in command centers and 

mobile assets.

›› Maritime Awareness Global Network, which allows 

users to analyze and display vessel data and other 

strategic and tactical intelligence spatially.

›› Hawkeye system, which leverages multiple remotesensing systems to improve situational awareness 

within a Coast Guard Sector Command Center’s area 

of responsibility. Hawkeye includes a geographic 

information system to spatially display the data and 

manage the sensors. 

›› Coast Guard Search and Rescue Optimal Planning 

System (SAROPS), which incorporates NGA’s Commercial Joint Mapping Toolkit to provide a common 

viewer with a known interface for search and rescue 

operations. SAROPS uses environmental information 

like wind direction to determine a search target’s 

probable location, displays search patterns and provides tools for search-and-rescue case management.

›› Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement 

system, which provides a repository for a variety of 

operational activities, along with a viewer for displaying and analyzing the information geographically. 

›› Capital Asset Management Portal, which provides 

access through a single portal to information pulled 

from multiple enterprise-level applications. For any 

given level of the Coast Guard’s organizational structure, an interactive map window displays the unit 

data spatially alongside a listing of the assets and 

their value. 
›› Coast Guard Business Intelligence (CGBI), which 

allows users to access and interact with several 

enterprise data systems and analyze the information 

in a geospatial display. For example, CGBI provides 

readiness data geospatially for every Coast Guard 

unit. 

The use of geospatial and remote-sensing technologies 

will increase substantially as the Integrated Deepwater 

System becomes operational. The Coast Guard’s integrated modernization program, Deepwater is designed 

to provide more capable assets for better surveillance, 

secure communications and more efficient command and 

control in surface and airborne assets. In line with the 

Coast Guard’s strategic approach to maritime homeland 

security, Deepwater places a premium on identifying and 

intercepting threats well before they reach U.S. shores. 

Plans call for nearly every surface and airborne Deepwater 

asset to carry a complete suite of visual, infrared and 

radar sensors that will provide Coast Guard crews with 

multiple opportunities to prosecute potential threats 

across the entire maritime domain. 

Geospatial technologies are increasingly important at 

all levels and with numerous partners at the local, state 

and federal level, who use them for situational awareness 

and communication during every phase of an emergency. 

As a result, Coast Guard officers need to be increasingly 

literate in using spatial knowledge and skills to fulfill the 

Coast Guard’s mission requirements for homeland security, maritime domain awareness, and command, control 

and intelligence. 

6Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

Initiatives to Develop Spatial Literacy

To meet the increasing need for spatially literate officers, the Coast Guard Academy Science Department began offering an Introduction to Geospatial Sciences course 

to seniors in its Marine and Environmental Sciences (MES) 

major in the spring of 2003. Since then, approximately 30 

students a year have taken this course, which is now offered to juniors. Offering the course a year earlier provides 

students an opportunity to apply their spatial knowledge 

and skills in other courses, independent research and 

internships. The department is examining courses in the 

sophomore year for opportunities to begin the development of spatial literacy. Plans are also now in place for 

the creation of an advanced geospatial sciences course 

for seniors who have taken the introductory geospatial 

sciences course and are looking to further develop their 

spatial thinking, knowledge and skills. 

When the changes are complete, spatial literacy will be 

fully incorporated across the MES curriculum. The overall 

goal of these efforts is not to develop technicians fully 

proficient in the use of geographic information systems. 

Rather, the aim is to develop spatially literate Coast Guard 

decision-makers with knowledge and skills in the use 

of geospatial technologies for emergency planning and 

response, facilities management and operational resource 

management and decision-making. 

NGA’s Contributions to Training Efforts

An avid supporter of the Coast Guard’s efforts to develop spatial literacy, NGA has provided funds to purchase 

Cape Cod Bay is the area of interest for an application of the Coast Guard 

Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System (SAROPS), as viewed through 

NGA’s Joint Mapping Toolkit. 

SAROPS uses environmental information like wind direction to determine a 

search target’s probable location.
7 Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

hardware and software, off-site and on-site training and 

travel to conferences through its Service Academy Grant 

Program.

The Office of the Americas and Office of Global Navigation have also provided software, data and guest speakers. Through these efforts, students at the U.S. Coast 

Guard Academy are exposed to several important NGA 

programs that support homeland security, such as the 

Homeland Security Infrastructure Program, Web-based 

PalanterraTM software package for situational awareness 

and three-dimensional HarborViewvisualization tool and 

data.

NGA’s support has significantly enhanced the quality 

and impact of the Coast Guard Academy’s geospatialscience education program.

Future Efforts

Although 30 spatially literate MES students now graduate from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy each year, the 

rapid incorporation of geospatial technologies into information-technology systems across multiple Coast Guard 

mission areas requires the development of spatially literate students outside the MES major. To meet this need, 

the Science Department has established a geographic 

information system for the use of every faculty member 

and student at the academy. Training was provided in the 

fall of 2006 to expose faculty in every academic department to the potential use of geographic information systems in their particular area of interest. As a result of this 

training, geospatial activities have increased in the Civil 

Engineering, Mathematics and Humanities Departments 

at the academy.

Additional future efforts and activities will include:

›› incorporation of several activities based on the geographic information system into the oceanography 

course taken by every student not in the MES major

›› expansion of course offerings, student research and 

internship opportunities

›› creation of an interdepartmental geospatial science 

education working group

›› expansion of spatial literacy development across the 

entire academic program

›› establishment of geographic information system 

World Wide Web services

Once these efforts and activities are in place, the U.S. 

Coast Guard Academy will have an effective system in 

place to develop the spatial literacy of all its graduates, 

thus meeting the Coast Guard’s need for officers proficient 

in spatial knowledge, thinking and skills.

Multi-Layered Approach to Training Needed

Because geospatial technologies are embedded across 

nearly all U.S. Coast Guard operational and business 

systems, it is doubtful that a single approach to geospatial 

education and training will be successful or meet all Coast 

Guard mission needs. Geospatial education and training 

will, therefore, need to be delivered through multiple 

means:

›› formal geospatial education as part of the U.S. Coast 

Guard Academy undergraduate program

›› pipeline training on geographic information systems 

for officers and senior enlisted serving as senior 

watch-standers, supervisors and program managers

›› traveling road shows to provide training on geographic information systems and support on site

›› mission-specific geospatial training in several Coast 

Guard schools

›› user guides and online help for individual systems

›› on-the-job training and mentorship of a local expert 

in geospatial technologies

›› geospatial training tied to the Coast Guard Incident 

Command System curriculum 

Given the rapid rise in the use and importance of geospatial technologies for effective mission accomplishment 

across all Coast Guard mission areas, establishing such a 

multi-layered approach to geospatial education and training must become an organizational priority. P

Coast Guard Capt. Michael Alfultis 

is Head of the Science Department at the 

Coast Guard Academy and a member of the 

academy’s permanent commissioned teaching 

staff. He earned his Ph.D. in oceanography from 

the University of Rhode Island. Besides operational assignments in the Coast Guard, he served 

with the International Ice Patrol.
New ‘HSIP Gold’ Offers More Data, Dramatic 

Improvements

By the Domestic Preparedness Branch

The federal homeland security community is getting 

more and better infrastructure information, thanks to a 

new release on two DVDs by NGA’s North America and 

Homeland Security Division (PMH). Version 2 of the Homeland Security Infrastructure Program (HSIP) Gold dataset 

provides an updated, improved common store of vector 

data on domestic critical infrastructure that agencies can 

use in developing and exercising response plans to acts of 

terrorism, natural disasters and other homeland-security 

events. (Vector data is computer-based graphical information portrayed as points, lines and polygons.)

Since the program’s inception in 2002, the vector 

content of HSIP has grown steadily larger and more 

heterogeneous. NGA initially purchased most of the HSIP 

data from commercial vendors. Over time, NGA analysts 

have collected additional data through interactions with 

state and local agencies during disaster responses and 

special-security events. 

The Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data 

Working Group, representing government and private 

members of the homeland security community, sponsored 

a meeting to gather feedback after NGA released the first 

version of HSIP Gold two years ago. Users conferred on 

the content and structure of the data and recommended 

alternate sources for many of the datasets. 

Version 2 of HSIP Gold includes many of these new 

datasets, collected since last November by the working 

group and NGA’s Domestic Preparedness Branch in PMH. 

From federal and military organizations, the datasets 

were, in large part, recommended during the working 

group’s feedback session. 

Some of these new datasets provide more complete, 

more current, or more richly attributed data than the data 

that was already included in HSIP Gold. Many, however, 

represent completely new data that enable the federal 

homeland security community to perform a wider range of 

analyses in preparation for disasters and special-security 

events. Finding the nearest hospital, conducting line-ofsight analyses, matching street addresses to locations and 

many other applications are significantly enhanced with 

the new datasets.

8Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

In addition to a nearly one-third increase in datasets, 

HSIP Gold version 2 has three qualitative improvements: 

›› Standard fonts for symbology established by the Federal Geographic Data Committee (FGDC) Homeland 

Security Working Group. The FGDC symbols appear 

the same regardless of the software application used. 

However, users can turn off the FGDC symbology and 

use more familiar icons if they prefer. 

The Homeland Security Infrastructure Program 

(HSIP) comprises NGA holdings of imagery, Light 

Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data and vector data 

over the U.S. homeland. Imagery holdings include 

nationwide 1-meter and high-resolution (1-foot or 

better) urban area commercial airborne imagery. 

The LIDAR data provides three-dimensional elevation data for selected urban areas identified by the 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Vector data 

includes nationwide datasets, such as the nation’s 

energy system and transportation networks, and 

high-density local data.

HSIP Gold contains a subset of the HSIP vector data 

holdings that is released to the federal community 

for official use in the homeland security mission. 

State and local users may view the data on a DHS 

Web-based geographic information system based 

on PalanterraTM, NGA’s homeland-security software 

package.

The Homeland Infrastructure Foundation-Level Data 

Working Group is a coalition of federal, state and 

local government organizations, federally funded 

research and development centers, and supporting 

private industry partners who are involved with 

geospatial issues related to homeland security, 

homeland defense, civil support and emergency 

preparedness and response. The working group is cosponsored by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of 

Defense for Homeland Defense and Americas’ Security Affairs, NGA and the DHS Directorate of Preparedness. See www.hifldwg.org for more information. 
Using GEOINT to 

Protect Our Homeland

Since its creation after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, 

NGA’s North America and Homeland Security Division 

has become the developer, broker and integrator 

of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to protect our 

homeland. At the same time, NGA gives customers 

Web access and experts to assist with analysis—on 

site and online.

Support NGA provided in response to Hurricanes 

Katrina and Rita was viewed by many customers 

as setting the standard for the future. It included 

identifying key infrastructure, locating citizens in 

need, conducting damage assessments, monitoring 

levee stability, issuing navigational advisories and 

many other actions. NGA was on the ground at every 

key customer location providing critical information 

to first responders, national agencies and the Department of Defense. 

NGA continues efforts with its mission partners to 

identify and apply advanced GEOINT tradecraft to 

support special-security events and to ensure that 

those advances are available for readiness, response 

and recovery efforts in cases of natural or manmade 

disasters. 

9Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

›› FGDC-compliant metadata (information about the 

datasets, such as accuracy, date collected, etc.). 

›› A greater percentage of accurately geolocated data 

points. NGA used TechniGraphics Incorporated’s proprietary PinPointer® process to improve the positional 

accuracy of critical datasets. Through PinPointer®, 

TechniGraphics precisely locates facilities while verifying other attributes. 

More to Come

Recognizing the need for a common homeland security 

vector database across all levels of government, NGA, 

FGDC and TechniGraphics are working together to instantiate a new initiative called HSIP Freedom. Through contacts 

made at the National States Geographic Information 

Council and by leveraging state-level coordinators from 

the Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Geological Survey, NGA will obtain license-free, state-owned 

data. This collection will focus at first on datasets that 

are restricted to federal use only; however, the eventual 

goal is to provide a highly accurate, minimally restricted 

set of infrastructure data that federal, state, local and 

nongovernmental agencies can use for planning, exercises 

and operations.

The current HSIP Gold delivers numerous databases “as 

is,” with no single data model. Consequently, users must 

often query HSIP Gold multiple times to access the data 

they need. NGA has contracted with Applied Geographics 

to develop a data dictionary that will help analysts in the 

Domestic Preparedness Branch to harmonize the minimum essential data within the disparate HSIP Gold data 

models. Once this harmonization is complete, most users 

will require only a single query to access data from the 

entire HSIP Gold database. This will also simplify the effort 

required to extract, transform and load HSIP Gold into a 

standard data model, whether that is the National System 

for Geospatial Intelligence standard or the DHS Geospatial 

Data Model. The data dictionary will also generate a 

schema for the homeland security community to use in 

collecting data for future iterations of HSIP Gold.

HSIP Gold has a promising future. NGA will continue to 

work with its government and contract partners to acquire 

and improve data and make it available to homeland security mission partners at all levels of government. P

The Homeland Security Infrastructure Program includes vector data over the 

U.S. homeland like the sample above, Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) 

data, which provides high-resolution three-dimensional perspectives, and 

commercial airborne imagery.
Super Bowl Gains from GEOINT on Demand

By Randall Hamilton

A steady rain fell on Dolphin Stadium, but over 

74,000 people still turned out to see the 29-17 victory of 

the Indianapolis Colts over the Chicago Bears at Super 

Bowl XLI on Feb. 4. Riveted to the game, the fans no doubt 

were oblivious to the security efforts that surrounded 

them. These were made possible by a high degree of 

situational awareness, thanks to the collaboration of NGA 

and the FBI, Broward County Sheriff’s Office, Miami-Dade 

Police Department and nearly 40 additional federal, state 

and local agencies. 

The Domestic Preparedness Branch in the Office of 

America’s North America and Homeland Security Division 

and the FBI NGA Support Team led NGA’s support to FBI 

security operations. Critical systems and communications 

were supplied by the Office of Global Support, and NGA’s 

Security Office also supported the event. Other NGA offices provided support that ranged from management to 

legal guidance.

Arriving in Miami at least 10 days before the Super Bowl 

were teams from the Domestic Preparedness Branch, 

which helped the FBI’s Miami Field Office set up joint intelligence and operations centers, and the Office of Global 

Support, which helped configure communications.

Common Operational Picture

The Global Support team redirected the display of a 

remote laptop to one of four large screens in the joint operations center, providing access in real time to a common 

operational picture using NGA’s PalanterraTM Web-centric 

architecture. With PalanterraTM, the NGA team integrated 

information from various incident-reporting systems and 

provided tailored geospatial intelligence (GEOINT). The 

visualization of activities allowed all agency representatives in the operations center to understand events and 

threats from a spatially analyzed point of view.

NGA’s Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial Intelligence System (DMIGS) also arrived early to establish 

communications and data connections with the joint intelligence and operations centers. The DMIGS then moved 

alongside the FBI’s mobile command center, where it integrated GEOINT support with the tactical team’s operations.

GEOINT on Demand 

Although no major incidents occurred at or near the 

Super Bowl, the NGA and FBI teams did respond to 

10Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

occasional minor events. For example, the Joint Operations Center received reports of a vehicular explosion, 

causing concern over whether the incident had taken 

place close to the players’ hotels, Dolphin Stadium or 

routes in between. A quick analysis showed that the 

mishap had occurred at some distance from any official 

National Football League venue.

On another occasion, the center learned of suspicious 

queries regarding flight restrictions. The NGA team was 

able to quickly identify and locate the source of the 

queries and its location relative to restricted air space and 

Super Bowl activities.

In still another incident, individuals were observed on 

the perimeter of security-team assets and equipment, 

using binoculars and apparently taking notes. The NGA 

team promptly assisted the FBI with a line-of-sight analysis showing precisely what the individuals could have 

observed from their locations.

Mission Accomplished

The weather conditions on game day resulted in the 

first Super Bowl to be played in the rain, but it also had 

the effect of greatly reducing the number of incidents. 

During the course of the operations, the NGA team hosted 

a number of senior leaders from NGA, federal officials and 

state and local authorities. Observers also included Canada’s Department of National Defence and Royal Canadian 

Mounted Police, while an analyst from Australia’s Defence 

Imagery and Geospatial Organisation was fully integrated 

into the NGA team.

The combined efforts of NGA, the FBI, other federal 

agencies and state and local law-enforcement made 

this special security event a great success. Each agency 

collaborated with the others to seamlessly integrate 

operations, quickly resolve problems as they arose, and 

smoothly accomplish the mission of supporting Super 

Bowl security. P

Randall Hamilton 

is a geospatial 

analyst in the North 

America and Homeland 

Security Division’s Domestic Operations Branch.

Photo courtesy of John Hessler
11Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

New Deployables: Taking Shape and Already Working

By Al Trujillo

When NGA analysts deploy, whether to Afghanistan

or Alabama, Baghdad or Baton Rouge, they take with 

them the same capabilities they use in their work area. 

These are systems that task, collect, process, exploit and 

disseminate geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) to meet 

their customer’s mission.

A family of deployable systems now provides significantly improved capabilities through a collaboration between NGA’s Acquisition Directorate and Office of Global 

Support (OGS). In earlier deployments, systems were not 

necessarily interoperable with those of their counterparts 

in the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence 

Community. With the emergence of the National System 

for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG) and a set of corresponding standards for configurations, specifications and data 

exchanges, interoperability became imperative.

The Deployables Program Office, composed of a government program manager and contractors supporting the 

Acquisition Directorate, worked with OGS to engineer a 

paradigm shift from unique, one-of-a-kind support systems to a family of systems that is NSG and DoD-compliant. National security events like the Super Bowl, disaster 

relief efforts and the global war on terrorism now have 

seamless, timely support from a family of systems that is 

scalable, modular and interoperable.

NGA Deployable Systems range in size from a superequipped “civilian” emergency vehicle, the Domestic Mobile Integrated Geospatial Intelligence System (DMIGS), 

to large, medium and small transit cases. The variations in 

physical size primarily reflect the amount of data storage 

needed to support the given mission. All have a core set 

of GEOINT capabilities. 

The DMIGS has traveled with teams of analysts, enabling NGA to significantly improve its support to nationalsecurity events and response to national disasters. At the 

same time, transit-case systems have enabled analysts to 

download current imagery and geospatial information to 

libraries as small as a lunch box. While a download takes 

place in the background, the analyst is free to exploit 

imagery or disseminate GEOINT.

Introduced last year (see the November-December 

2006 Pathfinder, page 10), the DMIGS integrates GEOINT 

analysis hardware and software with a robust communication system. Analysts can send and receive data to and 

from NGA facilities while collaborating remotely to provide 

time-critical information on demand. DMIGS incorporates 

lessons learned in the development and operation of its 

military counterpart, the MIGS, which deployed during 

Hurricane Katrina. Yet it has a civilian look and feel. 

During the first deployment of the DMIGS for Tropical 

Storm Ernesto, which hit the East Coast last August, analysts successfully provided seamless support to federal 

and local officials. To enable the DMIGS to reach back for 

critical data to support its domestic hosts, the Enterprise 

Operations Directorate integrated a new point-of-presence at NGA for sending and receiving communication. 

The Deployables Program Office has since integrated the 

DMIGS “chase vehicle” with a “dismounted” incidentmanagement capability, enabled by a handheld Global 

Positioning System receiver.

Soon NGA’s deployables will have enhanced capability 

for ordering, preparing and exploiting imagery. The new 

Tactical Imagery Exploitation Segment will provide a 

simpler, less expensive tactical exploitation manager for 

NGA forward-deployed personnel. For warfighters, it will 

provide a simpler approach to identifying targets of interest and reporting their findings.

By developing deployable systems and integrating them 

into the NSG in record time, NGA has paved the way for 

future refinements. At the same time, NGA has provided 

our national, DoD and civil partners with an integrated set 

of tools to respond to any number of contingencies. 

GEOINT is best absorbed into the mission space of 

our partners when tradecraft professionals are present 

to demonstrate its full potential. The Deployables effort 

provides the tools for the full effect of GEOINT to be realized at any location our customers need it. P

Al Trujillo 

is the Deployables 

Program Office Program 

Manager.
3-D Modeling Adds a Dimension to Mapping

By Rodney Vanderpol

For security operations at last year’s All-Star Baseball Game in Pittsburgh, the FBI and Department of 

Homeland Security (DHS) relied on a three-dimensional 

(3-D) terrain model created from airborne laser data. The 

product is typical of hundreds NGA produces annually for 

national decision-makers, warfighters and the homeland 

security community.

Over 25 organizations use NGA models for operational 

planning and execution, as well as to augment high-level 

briefings for directors, senior managers and commanders. 

Physical 3-D scale models enable faster interpretation of 

complex information and facilitate face-to-face collaboration. They especially enhance comprehension for individuals unaccustomed to analyzing 3-D data or reading maps.

Highly accurate and realistic models of the Earth, equipment and facilities are produced by NGA’s Geospatial 

Intelligence (GEOINT) Modeling Branch, which operates in 

two distinctly different modeling facilities. The 3-D Model 

Production Facility (3-DMPF) produces terrain models, and 

the Model Shop specializes in creating models of equipment and facilities. 

NGA’s extensive data sources and today’s powerful 

computers enable the branch to produce models of unprecedented accuracy and quality and with unprecedented speed. 

Terrain Modeling Employs High-Tech, Varied 

Data for Many Uses 

NGA terrain models portray a richness of geospatial 

information that always captures the imagination of users, 

allowing them to better see the Earth as it is or to visualize 

the Earth as it has been or could be.

Their production draws upon NGA’s expertise as a producer of interactive hydrographic, topographic and urban 

maps, and other GEOINT products. The ability of 3-DMPF 

staff to choose the right combination of geospatial products and combine them to create a single model speaks to 

the powerful collaborative effort that distinguishes branch 

activities. 

Before producing a physical model, the staff creates a digital elevation model (DEM) to guide its computer-controlled 

milling machine. From blocks of dense polyurethane 

foam, the milling machine cuts DEMs of unprecedented 

precision. Then, image data is added to the DEM to enable 

computer-guided printing. A patent-pending ink-jet process prints a brilliant, full-color, high-resolution satellite 

image, aerial photo, or other graphic requested by the 

customer on the surface of the 3-D product. 

Terrain models can be created in any size. Some fit on 

a tabletop, others are mounted to cover a wall, and a few 

are even tiled to fill an entire exhibition hall. Once the 

models are completed, the 3-DMPF staff crates the models 

for delivery to customers around the world.

The terrain model produced for the All-Star Game is a 

great example of how the combination of NGA geospatial 

products and the power of modeling can provide support 

before and during a major event. The use of airborne laser 

data allowed for a more detailed exploitation of buildings 

and terrain, including roads, utility lines, surrounding 

buildings, bridges and other venues in the area of interest 

than would otherwise have been possible. Beyond supporting the All-Star Game, the model continues to be used 

in the Allegheny County Emergency Operations Center as a 

disaster preparedness tool. 

This year the U.S. Embassies in Jamaica and Barbados 

are using three NGA terrain models for operational planning in support of the Cricket World Cup. In another world 

event, the 3-DMPF produced multiple terrain models for 

the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

Terrain models produced by 3-DMPF were used to understand the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. The 

staff produced multiple models of a 153-square mile area 

and shipped them to Baton Rouge, New Orleans and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters 

in Washington, D.C. The Coast Guard used the models in its 

rescue, recovery and reconstruction effort to visualize the 

magnitude of the destruction. FEMA continues to use the 

models for planning and reconstruction.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency used 

three terrain models with a projection system to track vehicles it was testing in real time, as they traversed a 132-mile 

course through a mountainous desert region of Nevada. 

DARPA was studying the vehicles for their ability to protect 

military personnel driving on dangerous missions.

NGA’s Office of Military Support provides terrain models 

to its warfighting customers for strategic and tactical 

12Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007
training at home and in theater. Warfighters like being 

able gather around and touch a model as they discuss the 

geography, scale, distances and sight lines before they 

execute a mission. Using these models, warfighters can 

quickly grasp the operational advantage that may exist, 

given the nature of the terrain.

Model Shop Produces Everything Including 

Terrain-Style Models

Unlike the 3-DMPF, the Model Shop does not have a 

“product line.” The Model Shop’s approach is to listen to 

the customer’s needs and then produce a highly detailed, 

customized product using a wide variety of materials and 

tools. 

Customer requirements vary greatly; they might involve 

establishing a court case, identifying equipment capabilities, 

or studying a building to facilitate environmental or security planning or training.

Visitors who step into the Model Shop are likely to see 

a designer building a scale model of a facility using a milling machine and woodworking tools like drills, saws and 

lathes. Or they might see a designer building and customizing a kit model of a tank or a fighter jet. A technician is 

also likely to be at work using a computer-assisted design 

(CAD) tool to print a 3-D model of a weapon or spacelaunching system in a resin called acrylonitrile butadiene 

styrene, or ABS. 

The Model Shop staff comes from diverse backgrounds, 

such as design, construction, imagery analysis, woodworking, mechanical engineering and computer systems. 

Shop personnel use a variety of source data, including 

imagery, photographs, CAD line drawings, cables, notes 

and artists’ concepts. They work with data the customer 

provides or rely on their own research for the best source. 

Most models are made from plastic (ABS, Plexiglas® and 

high-density polyurethane foam), which is then sanded 

and airbrushed, but some are made out of metal.

In the past, models were always created by hand using 

traditional tools and hobby supplies. Today, models are 

built in stages using CAD, and computer-guided milling 

machines can render multiple copies of models in record 

time. Computer-guided 3-D printers lay down layer upon 

layer of melted and fused ABS resin to create very detailed 

models with inner stairways, moving parts, tire treads, 

levers and even hinged doors.

Prompt responses to political, economic or social unrest, natural disasters and manmade events require rapid, 

effective intelligence. NGA models have served requirements of the DHS, Department of Defense and Intelligence 

Community, international organizations and municipalities 

for situational awareness, strategic planning and operations. They can be sure that NGA’s GEOINT Modeling 

Branch will continue to meet those challenges. P

13Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

A computer-guided ink-jet process prints high-resolution, full-color airborne 

and satellite imagery on the surface of a three-dimensional digital elevation 

model in NGA’s Geospatial Intelligence Modeling Branch. 

Rodney Vanderpol 

is the 3-D Model 

Production Facility 

Program Manager.
Safety of Antarctic Endeavors Depends on NGA 

By Julia A. Collins

14Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

On average it is the coldest, driest and windiest

continent. Ninety-eight percent of its land is covered by ice 

containing 70 percent of the world’s fresh water. The rest 

is barren rock. An indigenous human population has never 

lived here. Winter temperatures average between 112 and 

130 degrees below zero Fahrenheit, while summer brings 

a maximum temperature of 57 degrees and 24 hours of 

sunlight.

One by one the secrets of Antarctica are being revealed, 

as scientists study the effects of isolation under extreme 

conditions, the continent’s interaction with the global 

climate system, changes in the extent of the ice shelf, and 

many more areas of interest. 

Explorers have visited Antarctica for years, and today 

approximately 4,000 scientists from throughout the world 

conduct research and experiments during the austral summer months.

And each year, with new help from NGA, the U.S. military launches Operation Deep Freeze, or ODF, to provide 

supplies for U.S. Antarctic bases in the region. 

Funded by the U.S. Antarctic Program of the National 

Science Foundation (NSF), the mission is a cohesive effort 

including members of the New York Air National Guard’s 

109th Airlift Wing, 62nd Airlift Wing, McChord Air Force 

Base, Wash., and U.S. Coast Guard. Currently, ODF is run 

from the George C. Kenney Headquarters of Pacific Air 

Forces in Hawaii. 

Military pilots flying supplies into Antarctica face 

numerous obstacles, including whiteout conditions, hidden crevasses and winter winds that sweep through the 

valleys at up to 200 miles per hour. As a result, NGA’s role 

includes a focus on safety of navigation and cross-directorate collaboration, said Air Force Lt. Col. John Bright, 

NGA’s military liaison to ODF in the Analysis and Production Directorate’s Office of Global Navigation (PV). 

NGA has actively supported ODF for the last threeand-a-half years. The Agency’s role grew from a request 

from the 109th Airlift Wing for updated aviation charts 

for Antarctica. The unit operates LC-130 Hercules supply 

flights delivering cargo to remote research locations from 

mid-October through mid-February. LC-130 aircraft can 

land on wheels or with specially equipped skis.

“The unit was very hungry for a lot of things, including 

updated charts,” Bright said, “and our name was at the 

bottom of the charts, meaning NGA is responsible.”

NGA analysts help Deep Freeze planners map a seasonal runway and provide updated navigation aids for 

the area.

Ice Runway 

Each year in mid-October, large, C-17 Globemaster 

III planes from the 62nd Airlift Wing depart from Christchurch, New Zealand, with supplies for NSF researchers. 

Initially, the planes land on a temporary ice runway 
15Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

located near the main U.S. research complex at McMurdo 

Station. Because the ice shelf is slowly moving, ice core 

samples are taken each year to determine the best location for the runway. 

The ice runway is used from mid-October until December, when the runway becomes too slushy and flights are 

moved to two permanent airfields called Williams and 

Pegasus. At this same time, in mid-December, an icebreaker ship is able to clear a path, allowing a ship 

to deliver supplies and a tanker to bring in fuel. 

Once supplies reach McMurdo Station, the smaller 

LC-130s are loaded and make the flight to NSF research 

stations located throughout the continent. One such station is located at the South Pole, where a new facility was 

recently completed. 

“Every piece of building material was delivered via 

airlift,” Bright said. 

During the 2006-2007 season, according to a March 

2007 Pacific Air Forces news release, “LC-130s flew 430 

missions, moving nearly 11 million pounds of cargo and 

1,000 passengers throughout Antarctica.” The bigger C-17s 

flew 57 missions to McMurdo Station from Christchurch, 

carrying more than 3 million pounds of cargo and 2,700 

passengers. Returning, the C-17s flew more than 720,000 

pounds of cargo and 2,600 passengers to Christchurch. 

All of these missions were flown with the help of updated navigation charts or aeronautical flight information 

provided by NGA. 

Airfield Charts

NGA analysts became involved in ODF when they found 

that the military needed flight information products for 

airfields in the region. NGA publishes all Flight Information 

Publications, or FLIPs, for the Department of Defense 

(DoD).

Three permanent U.S. fields are located in Antarctica. 

Pegasus Field is a permanent ice runway where C-17 

Globemaster III planes can land. Williams and South Pole 

fields are ski-ways requiring use of the LC-130 Hercules 

“skis” to land. 

“We had to re-plot the runways,” said NGA’s lead 

production aeronautical analyst for the region. “They had 

moved 50 feet due to shifting ice and magnetic variation.”

The FLIP for Antarctica is a loose-leaf product that is 

not a standard FLIP. NGA works with the Space and Naval 

Warfare Systems Command, or SPAWAR, to collect terminal procedures for the airfields. Raytheon Polar Services 

provides runway data for the procedures each year to 

SPAWAR. The flight procedures might look similar to those 

of past years, but they are not exactly the same. A heading 

or course, for example, might have changed from 244 to 

246 degrees. Last year was the first year the Antarctic FLIP 

was published in a booklet. Previous productions were not 

to DoD specifications. 

Overall, safety of navigation is the ultimate goal for 

the Antarctic FLIP. The 2007-2008 FLIP will include the 
addition of elevation and terrain data, along with a table 

of contents, which was requested by ODF flight crews. 

The Source Operations and Management Directorate’s 

Global Foundation Office (SG) provides several products, 

including terrain elevation data. This information allowed 

PV to include contoured terrain features for the upcoming 

operation. 

“I’m trying to provide them with a better product,” 

explained PV’s lead production aeronautical analyst. 

“It is a terrain-impacted environment.” 

For instance, Ross Island, where McMurdo Station is 

located, has an active volcano, Mount Erebus, and the 

continent itself is covered by a constantly moving ice 

sheet. “It’s pretty hostile, and it’s good to know they’ve 

got some good procedures,” the lead analyst said. 

Special Support Products

Members of NGA’s support team have visited the 109th 

Airlift Wing at its home base in Scotia, N.Y., to gain a better understanding of the tools their military partners need. 

One example of a unique mapping product PV produced 

was an Antarctic Landing Site Graphic, or ALSG. Because 

ODF takes place during the austral summer, daytime temperatures can reach into the 50s; however, ground temperatures are usually well below zero. This can result in a 

low cloud or fog deck between 200 and 300 feet above the 

ground, which presents an extreme visibility challenge. 

Staff in SG’s Geospatial Operations West used Canadian 

RADARSAT imagery to project glaciers, peaks and valleys for the ALSG. Currently, coverage is provided for the 

Wilson-Piedmont and Odell Glaciers, although the team 

plans to produce additional graphics for future missions. 

Landing site graphics give pilots a visual representation of 

the terrain.

“We had a short turnaround and had everything ready 

within eight weeks,” said one of the cartographic analysts 

on the team. 

The product was printed as a standard size, the same 

as a Joint Operations Graphic, which is familiar to pilots. It 

also folds up and can be placed in a flight suit for access, 

a small but important feature.

The team also produced an Antarctic Strip Chart 

showing routes from Christchurch to McMurdo Station. 

16Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

The chart contained corrected locations for the Balleny 

Islands, which were up to seven nautical miles off on 

previous charts. 

These are just a few examples of the different products 

the team developed for its military partners. This year the 

group hopes to increase its tailored products from six or 

seven to at least 20 unique charts. 

In addition to a partner-site visit with the 109th Airlift 

Wing, some members of the team attended a planning 

conference in May including members of the 109th, 62nd 

and NSF.

“It’s important to meet and talk with customers,” one of 

the analysts said. “They share lessons learned, and they 

plan for the next year.”

The site visits and conference give NGA’s military partners the opportunity to make specific, detailed requests. 

In addition, the team learns about the numerous areas of 

Antarctica where researchers with the NSF will be working. 

The team expects to be called on for additional products 

in the next few years when the military hopes to land C17s at the South Pole. This will free the LC-130s to provide 

supplies to outlying, remote areas, increasing the need for 

accurate geospatial products from NGA.

The most important goal remains safety of navigation. 

“They will be called on to travel further out to dangerous 

locations, and we are planning for this,” an analyst said. 

“We’re providing specialized products for a non-traditional 

mission. These military flights are far removed from any 

other mission they conduct.”

Antarctica “is the most dangerous place to fly,” said a 

cartographic analyst. 

When asked about the importance of NGA’s assistance, 

another said, “It’s a small effort on our part, but our 

impact is huge. With minimal expense, NGA is able to 

provide life-saving products.” P

Julia A. Collins 

is a Public Affairs 

Officer in the Office of 

Corporate Relations St. 

Louis Branch.
So there’s an eye towards the future. There’s an understanding of the present and an active teamwork that 

works these problems between Joint Forces Command 

and NGA. P

17Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

Partnerships

NGA and JFCOM Support Needs of Joint Warfighter

By Matt Reiner

The collaboration between NGA and the Joint Forces

Command (JFCOM), otherwise known as the Joint Geospatial Activity (JGA), seeks to improve current geospatial 

intelligence (GEOINT) processes through reviews of 

doctrine, studies and assessments. Because of this, new 

initiatives, such as the development of the Joint Warfighter 

Interoperable GEOINT (JWIG) Concept of Operations 

(CONOPS), have emerged that provide a vision for how 

the joint warfighter will acquire, share and utilize GEOINT. 

In addition, changes are being looked at that require no 

additional funding while still enhancing GEOINT support 

to those serving in combat. 

Located in Norfolk, Va., JFCOM is one of nine combatant 

commands in the Department of Defense and plays a key 

role in transforming the U.S. military’s capabilities. 

In an interview on his recent visit to NGA, JFCOM Deputy 

Commander Army Lt. Gen. John R. Wood spoke about the 

importance of the NGA-JFCOM partnership. 

Could you describe the NGA-JFCOM partnership? 

I think we have a strong partnership focused on the 

joint warfighter’s needs. NGA has a great team down there 

of employees and leaders who work with us on a routine 

basis to support the joint warfighter. 

How has this partnership helped JFCOM accomplish its mission? 

JFCOM looks at training, force providing and experimentation. Therefore, a number of things important to 

us require a GEOINT backdrop. All of this allows NGA and 

JFCOM to produce the products the warfighter needs. 

How do you foresee the warfighter using GEOINT 

products and services for future combat situations? 

Well, we’re always looking into that. For instance, we 

have the GEOINT test-bed activity at JFCOM. Being able 

to take those technologies and tools and apply them to 

the types of problems we have today and expect in the 

future gives us a good start on the kind of capabilities 

the joint warfighter is going to need, and, frankly, builds 

the training base to train our warfighters to use those 

technologies. 

Matt Reiner 

is a Strategic Communications Specialist 

in the Office of Corporate 

Relations, Strategic Communications Branch.

JFCOM Deputy Commander Army Lt. Gen. John R. Wood discusses a new 

JFCOM initiative at his office in Norfolk, VA. Wood is a major supporter of 

geospatial intelligence and working with NGA.

DoD photo by Staff Sgt. Bryan Axtell
Working for NGA

‘Positive Attitude’ Valued by NORTHCOM NST Chief 

By Juanita Hartbarger

Dale Hutchinson, Chief of the NGA Support Team 

(NST) assigned to the U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), has been with NGA since before it was NGA.

“I’ve been in this business just under 30 years,” he said. 

“I started out as an Air Force imagery analyst way back in 

1977 and joined the National Photographic Interpretation 

Center (NPIC) in 1987, and I’ve been with NPIC, the National Imagery and Mapping Agency and NGA ever since.”

NORTHCOM, one of 10 Combatant Commands (COCOMs), was created on Oct. 1, 2002, in response to the 

Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Its mission is the protection of the 

U.S. homeland and the support of local, state and federal 

authorities. It is responsible for U.S. military operations 

in the continental United States, Mexico, Canada and the 

northern Caribbean.

Hutchinson became chief of the NORTHCOM NST in 

January of 2006, but this was not his first experience with 

an NST. Just before coming to NORTHCOM, he had spent 

nearly five years at the U.S. European Command (EUCOM) 

as NST Chief. This, combined with his previous military 

background, gave him a jump-start at NORTHCOM.

“My experience in the Air Force and my previous assignment in EUCOM helped me to easily transition into the 

NORTHCOM assignment,” he said. “I was able to hit the 

ground running. Understanding the military way of doing 

business is key to any COCOM position.”

NSTs, as the forward projection of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT), are invaluable throughout the Intelligence Community (IC). Hutchinson sees this as especially 

relevant in the COCOM environment.

“The COCOMs no longer have the expertise they once 

enjoyed in the imagery and geospatial disciplines and rely 

heavily on NGA to get them what they need,” he said. “Timelines often are not favorable to remote or virtual support.” 

Being forward gives NGA representatives insight into 

the customer’s true needs, allowing them to prepare customized GEOINT. “Being on site provides an NGA ‘finger 

on the pulse’ and is in the spirit of true joint operations,” 

Hutchinson said.

NST Service Has Its Rewards

What about the value of NST service from the NGA analyst’s or staffer’s perspective? Hutchinson sees benefits as 

well as a potential downside.

18Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

“I’m always concerned about being away from the flagpole and being out of sight and mind,” he said. “We have 

to make sure we are in sync with our home offices. We 

help close the physical-separation gap by frequent telecons, VTCs (video teleconferences) and TDYs (temporary 

duty assignments).”

On the other hand, NGA analysts and staff officers who 

want to move into the senior IC ranks stand to benefit. In 

May of 2006, John Negroponte, former Director of National 

Intelligence, signed Intelligence Community Civilian Joint 

Duty Program Directive 601, creating the Joint Duty Assignment program. Under this directive, once implementation 

and operating guidelines are established, IC personnel who 

want to be considered for executive positions (positions 

above the Band 5 or GS 15 level) must have served at least 

one 12-month tour of duty outside their home organization.

Service at an NST is one way to start fulfilling that 

requirement.

What does it take to be effective at an NST? “I personally like to hire a positive attitude,” Hutchinson said. 

“Capabilities and skills are obviously important factors, 

but if a person does not come as a solid professional with 

a positive attitude, NST life can be very difficult. COCOMs 

are very demanding partners. Good interpersonal skills 

and the ability to operate independently are also plusses.”

Hutchinson strongly encourages anyone who gets the 

chance to consider a stint at an NST. “Serving on an NST 

has been one of the best experiences of my career,” he 

said. “As an NST member, you have to embody the entire 

NGA mission, which gives you great insight into our full 

spectrum of capabilities. Most important, being at the 

pointy end of the spear, one sees firsthand how NGA’s 

work directly impacts the warfighter—the work literally 

saves and protects lives, which is what it’s all about.” P

Juanita Hartbarger 

is a Public Affairs 

Staff Officer in the Office 

of Corporate Relations, 

Strategic Communications 

Branch.
19Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

21st Century

NGA Supports Airborne Chemical Plume Sensor Team 

By Joanna Davis and Paul Lewis

NGA’s InnoVision Directorate has been helping to 

conduct definitive research on the application of imagingspectrometry systems in responding to chemical disasters. 

The directorate is represented on a team that has provided airborne reconnaissance and surveillance at more 

than 60 of the nation’s biggest events and disaster sites. 

Sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the 

team has responded to events like the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, chemical plant explosions and hurricanes 

Katrina and Rita, as well as spectacles like the Rose Bowl 

and Tournament of Roses Parade. 

The airplane uses multiple sensors to detect, track and 

identify chemical plumes in a commercially available system called airborne spectral photometric environmental 

collection technology, or ASPECT. A high spatial-resolution 

line-scanner produces images and chemical maps, and 

an infrared spectrometer provides detailed chemical 

information of any point in a plume. The ASPECT-equipped 

airplane is a component of the Department of Homeland 

Security’s Rapidly Deployable Chemical Detection System 

(RDCDS). 

The day before this year’s Tournament of Roses Parade 

and Rose Bowl, the ASPECT aircraft landed at the municipal airport in Oxnard, Calif., about 50 miles away. The City 

of Pasadena had requested the RDCDS to provide detectand-warn capabilities for chemical warfare agents or toxic 

industrial chemical vapors at both event sites. The airport 

served as the ASPECT operations base for a vigorous 

schedule before, during and after the events. 

All of the event data was analyzed by an infrared spectroscopist on the team, as well as by other team members, 

including scientists, engineers and emergencyresponse personnel. Their conclusion: no indication of the 

presence of any toxic chemical materials at either 

the Rose Bowl or parade sites.

Detailed analysis of the hyperspectral, infrared 

data collected over the Rose Bowl facility and 

along the parade route did indicate the presence 

of a variety of common atmospheric pollutants, 

but these were quickly identified as typical constituents of “Southern California air.”

Later that day, it was estimated that there were more 

than 1 million attendees at the Tournament of Roses 

Parade and 90,000 at the Rose Bowl. The hazardous 

materials chief for the City of Pasadena stated, “This is 

exactly what we were looking for, and we expect ASPECT 

to participate in our 2008 Tournament of Roses Parade 

and Rose Bowl Game.”

The ASPECT team, in collaboration with the InnoVision 

Directorate’s Information Integration Office, has tested 

the sensor suite in actual disaster-response operations 

and controlled experiments, as well as national special 

security events, or NSSEs. In these tests, ASPECT has 

demonstrated reliability and utility critical to the needs 

of civil organizations chartered with the protection and 

safety of our citizens during mitigation of chemical disaster situations. P

Joanna Davis (Left) and Paul Lewis (Right)

Davis is a contract technical writer supporting 

the InnoVision Directorate communications team.

Lewis is involved in both research and operations 

as a member of the ASPECT chemical plume sensor team. He works in the InnoVision Directorate’s 

Information Integration Office as an imagery 

scientist and project engineer.

Atmospheric pollutants are detected, identified and tracked by airborne 

imaging and spectrometry systems at national-security events like the 

Rose Bowl. NGA’s InnoVision Directorate provides operational support and 

research assistance in testing such systems for the Department of Homeland 

Security. 
Our Heritage

Navy Yard’s Wall of Fame Marks Arrival of GEOINT

By Dr. Gary E. Weir

Talented people willing to collaborate, trust and 

understand different perspectives on the same problem 

created modern geospatial intelligence (GEOINT). This 

remarkable tool has emerged as one of the most powerful 

intelligence products currently supporting our customers.

Only 11 years ago, imagery-analysis and geospatialinformation services remained separate and distinct 

disciplines. Innovators had recommended strongly the integration of talents assembled in 1996 under the umbrella 

of the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), now 

NGA. However, strong cultural identities on all sides made 

the idea of cartographers and other geospatial specialists 

working alongside imagery analysts very difficult.

Recognizing possibilities in a genuine partnership, a 

number of people stepped forward to bridge the gap. In 

one case, a senior cartographer who had worked for the 

Defense Mapping Agency (DMA), one of the predecessors 

of NIMA, found herself in a position to help. Working for 

NIMA at the Washington Navy Yard, home of most imagery 

analysts, she gained approval for a plan to blend the analytical skills applied to imagery with those of the geospatial 

arts and sciences. In 1999 she began to hire cartographers, 

geographers and other geospatial professionals for placement in some of NIMA’s imagery-analysis offices. 

As geospatial professionals began working alongside 

imagery analysts, all concerned began to appreciate more 

fully the cultural divide between the worlds of maps and 

imagery. Speaking with some old hands of the imagery 

effort, the DMA veteran received responses to her plan 

that ranged from “What am I going to do with one of 

them?” to “We would not recruit from that university.” In 

an exchange with one imagery analyst, she asked, “Where 

do you get your requirements from?” To that point in 

time, cartographers lived by the routine of a production 

schedule working on discreet, well-defined projects, each 

with a neat beginning, middle and end. She learned that 

the imagery people just “knew what to do.” In short, they 

owned their areas of specialty, their tasks, their analyses 

and the process of reporting. They thought out loud, collaborated regularly, and directed their own work to serve 

the mission at hand. “I was immediately jealous,” the 

DMA veteran recalled. She wanted that same ownership, 

the freedom and responsibility it offered, and the same 

flexibility for people in her own field. 

The bloody conflict in Chechnya presented the perfect 

opportunity for experimenting with tradecraft integration. 

Welcomed by a group willing to experiment, the DMA 

veteran asked a cartographer based in Bethesda, Md., to 

join the Eurasia group to merge his talent with their imagery analyses. The newcomer, who had worked for a private 

mapping firm, brought a sense for displaying information 

in a thematic context and weaving it into a story, similar to 

an imagery analyst’s report. The imagery analysts quickly 

realized, firsthand, the critical contribution to a wartime 

mission that cartographers can make.

Once augmented by a geospatial professional, the 

Eurasia group proceeded to issue intelligence products 

that had their customers immediately clamoring for more. 

As one senior manager remembered it, Eurasia’s new 

cartographer became “a rock star.” He provided the magic 

ingredient that brought the effort and output to another 

level. Intellectual insight into a crisis expressed in a tight, 

complementary symphony of image and idea quickly set a 

new standard for professional achievement.

The chief of this pioneering group deliberately arrayed 

their early products on a display surface at the Navy Yard 

that quickly became known as the “Wall of Fame.” He wanted the analysts who walked by to witness the emergence 

of something truly new and powerful. In a visit to NIMA 

during this period, CIA Director George J. Tenet lingered for 

a considerable time over the all-source intelligence on the 

Wall of Fame, as if the future of intelligence reporting lay 

before him. Within the next six months, 18 more geospatial 

specialists joined various imagery offices within NIMA. 

The success of the Navy Yard Eurasia Branch eroded 

cultural barriers and promoted professional integration. 

NIMA’s customers understood the crisis in Chechnya, as 

never before, through a lens we now call GEOINT. Intelligence had entered a new era. P

20Pathfinder ›› July/August 2007

Dr. Gary E. Weir 

is the NGA Historian.

www.nga.mil