Always out front.

In recent issues of MIPB you may have noticed an increasing number of articles on Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT). This reflects the U.S. Army Intelligence Center's (USAIC) recognition that our mission is constantly evolving to improve our support to the warfighter. In February 2006, GEOINT was designated as an Army Intelligence discipline and is currently undergoing a full functional review through a Cradle-to-Grave (C2G) analysis. The C2G is assessing GEOINT and Imagery Intelligence (IMINT) throughout the domains of Doctrine, Organization, Training, Materiel, Leader Development, Personnel, and Facilities (DOTMLPF) to:

* Identify problem areas.

* Develop solutions.

* Identify decisions.

* Facilitate integrated solutions.

Our C2G effort is being done in coordination with a wide range of GEOINT players to include the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command, the U.S. Army Engineer School (USAES), the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC), and various tactical users. The results of our C2G assessment and pending actions include--

Doctrine. USAIC is writing emerging GEOINT doctrine that is fully coordinated with USAES, the other Armed Services, and NGA. GEOINT doctrine will further describe what it is, who does it, how it is done, and how it will support the operational environment. GEOINT doctrine will be incorporated in the following manuals:

* FM 2-22.11/3-34.630, Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT).

* FM 2-22.5, Imagery Intelligence.

* FM 2-01.3/MRCP-2-3A, Intelligence Preparation of the Battlefield (IPB).

* FMI 2-01.301, Specific Tactics, Techniques, Procedures, and Applications of IPB.

* FM 2-33.4, Intelligence Analysis.

* FM 2-0, Intelligence.

* FM 3-24, Counterinsurgency.

Organization. USAIC (in full coordination with USAES) designed and proposed GEOINT structures at the brigade through Army Service Component levels to facilitate information sharing and GEOINT production. If approved, the proposals will result in changes to Tables of Organization and Equipment (TOEs) and subsequently, how we do business.

Training. Here at USAIC, we are enhancing our MOSs 96D/35G (Imagery Analyst) and 96H/35H (Common Ground Station Operator) training to meet evolving mission requirements as documented during our lessons learned collection effort and Critical Task Site Selection Board process. Based on lessons learned from the field we are adding Advanced Geospatial Imagery (AGI), Full Motion Video (FMV), Imagery Exploitation Support System (IESS) functions, and Moving Target Indicator (MTI) familiarization to our 96D/35G training. We have added MTI forensics and FMV familiarization training for MOS 96H/35H. Upon acquiring additional resources, we will expand 96D/35G training to ensure we more thoroughly train these new skills.

Our 96D/35G and 96H/35H Skill Level 10 through 40 soldiers, warrant officers and officers are exposed to division level GEOINT operations during their final course exercises at our Joint Intelligence-Combat Training Center (JI-CTC) conducted in a collaborative intelligence environment with students from Human Intelligence, Counterintelligence, Measurement and Signature Intelligence, Signals Intelligence, and All-source disciplines using a dynamic, real-world scenario. Skills trained and reinforced in the JI-CTC GEOINT training are:

* FMV exploitation.

* Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) flight operations and mission planning.

* Joint Surveillance Target Acquisition Radar System (J-STARS) MTI exploitation.

* Cross-cueing of assets with emphasis on UAS and MTI.

* Report writing hyperlinked to Imagery Derived Product (IDP), in concert with the Army Distributed Common Ground Station (DCGS-A), video clips of action from UAS and/or MTI, advanced mapping products, etc.

* National and Remote Sensing (Commercial) exploitation.

* Section Leader duty responsibilities.

* Fast-paced, first phase Tactical Identification and Ground Order-of-Battle analysis.

* Briefing skills.

* Communications systems and Common Operational Picture (COP) development.

* Field Artillery Intelligence Officer (FAIO) interaction.

* Battle Damage Assessment (BDA).

* Brigade Combat Team commander support operations.

* AGI and DCGS-A GEOINT toolsets and applications.

JI-CTC GEOINT training today includes sister Services and deploying NGA personnel. In coordination with the USAES, we will soon expand our training to include selected Engineer Geospatial Analysts.

Materiel. We are closely tracking the development of emerging GEOINT capabilities for integration into our current and future processing and collection capabilities. With our transition to DCGS-A, our TRADOC Capabilities Manager Sensor Processing (TCM-SP) is integrating Engineer and Imagery Analyst tool sets. The Engineers Digital Topographic Support System (DTSS) will be integrated into DCGS-A operations beginning in 2008. Part of our materiel tracking includes ensuring that all future fielded systems have an embedded means to train Intelligence Soldiers with realistic simulations or systems replication tools.

Leadership. There are multiple leader skills one needs to understand to fully exploit GEOINT and all its components-Imagery, IMINT and Geospatial Information and Services (GI&S). We are analyzing these skills, reviewing what and where we currently train, and looking towards expanding and updating our training.

Personnel. Along with possible organizational changes we are looking at what MOSs we will need for the future. The first changes are in our MOSs 96H/35H and 96D/35G. With the transition of CGS from a stand alone station to its inclusion into DSGS-A, we need a blending of skill sets for those soldiers performing their mission on a DCGS-A system. In addition, our lessons learned collection tells us that commanders need more Imagery Analysts to keep up with the increased reliance on FMV. Adaptive commanders and Soldiers are already using MOS 96H/35H Soldiers to perform Imagery Analysis. In addition to cross training 96D/35Gs and 96H/35Hs, we have proposed merging these MOSs by FY 2011 and provide reclassification training for 96H/35Hs to become 96D/35Gs. Reclassification training is currently planned to last ten weeks.

Other personnel changes include a detailed examination of our Area of Concentration (AOC) 35C, Imagery Intelligence Officer. We are determining if GEOINT assignments will increase the requirement for AOC 35C, whether we need to expand the skill sets of our 35C officers beyond just imagery management, or whether the AOC 35C should be a skill identifier (SI) and taught to only those projected to go to an IMINT assignment.

Facilities. While Army wide GEOINT does not require new facilities, we are examining whether GEOINT training facilities are adequate. We are working the implications of GEOINT daily, and push decisions and issues to the forefront so they can be acted upon. We will continue our C2G effort until we get GEOINT to a place where it permeates our Intelligence DOTMLPF responsibilities.

What does this new discipline GEOINT mean to the warfighter? It means that our analysts will continue to produce the products they produce today, but will also be able to provide more detailed, accurate, timely, and relevant visualization products to the war fighter at all echelons. It also means that our leaders and analysts will have more adaptive skills and tools to allow them to do even more than they do today, to further increase their contribution to victory.

ALWAYS OUT FRONT!

by Major General John M. Custer III

Commanding General

U.S. Army Intelligence Center and Fort Huachuca