Lesson 06: GEOINT and National Security/Case Study

Summary and Final Tasks

This lesson ends our study of national security applications of GEOINT. The lesson and our reading assignments covered:

  • Evolution of Military GIS&T
  • GIS&T and the "RMA"
  • Network Centric Warfare
  • GEOINT in OEF/OIF/GWOT
  • Future GEOINT Applications

Geographic techniques have played an important role in military history, and military requirements have spurred rapid advances in geographic techniques. Geospatial intelligence is an evolving INT that leverages these techniques in support of policy makers and Warfighters. It will be interesting to see how the evolving concepts of the RMA and NCW, as well as new technologies and applications such as UAVs and UGV will interact with geospatial intelligence. Some of you in this class will be future leaders and decision-makers involved in this process.

Deliverable: Lesson 06 - GRADED Discussion Forum (#2)

Return to the Lesson 06  folder in ANGEL. Look for the Lesson 06 - GRADED Discussion Forum (#2) where you will find the four topics for this assignment. The minimum requirement is that each of you post one primary response to TOPIC 1, one primary response to TOPIC 2a or TOPIC 2b, one primary response to TOPIC 3. Your thoughts about TOPIC 4 are welcome yet optional. You must then comment on at least THREE of your classmate's posts. (Six total posts - three primary posts and three comments.)

Remember to analyze the questions to determine specified and implied requirements, explicitly demonstrate your higher order and critical thinking skills, show me you read the required readings, and that you did some research if required. I challenge you to try and see beyond your cultural filters (which are sometimes blinders) and view these issues from a higher level or different perspective.

Note: Please post your primary response to the questions by Friday evening to allow time for everyone to post comments by Sunday night.

Looking Ahead

Next week we start Part Three of the course on Disaster Management. This might be a new subject for many of you, and it is an important topic for all citizens. You also get a change of pace on your deliverable. After you have completed the brief lesson introduction in ANGEL you will leverage the resources of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to become National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS) certified. The FEMA website provides free training and certification to government officials, first responders, and concerned citizens. Knowledge of NIMS and ICS will help you speak the same language of disaster, and facilitate interagency cooperation for those of you in the field. The next lesson will address:

  • The basic concepts of disaster management.
  • The hierarchy of disaster responders, roles of the major agencies/organizations, and the capabilities and limitations of different types of organizations.
  • The National Incident Management System (NIMS)
  • The Incident Command System (ICS).

Before moving on you have to complete Lesson 06 - GRADED Discussion Forum (#2).

Good Luck!