Tag Archives: Defense

Mapping out Geospatial Uses

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Geospatial, as a strict term, means data that is related to a location. In the government space, Geospatial has been used interchangeably with GIS - or Geographic Information Systems - which refers to technology that uses geospatial data. GIS has long been a key technology for the military and intelligence communities to help map out and gain visibility into areas for combat or missions. But as the availability of geographic data grows through the use of GPS applications, drones, and IoT technologies, the use of GIS is expanding across government.

GIS is a key tool in disaster response helping overlay available resources and assets onto maps of areas impacted by floods or fires. It can also be used to map in real time the location of hazards such as downed power lines.

GIS is also being used by law enforcement. In one case, a boy had gone missing, suspected to be abducted. The boy posted a photo to Instagram and the image, taken from what seemed to be an apartment window, included a sign on a bank across the street. An analyst looked up branch locations and cross-referenced the addresses with online maps, but could not get a location that seemed to be a possible match. When they took that data and loaded it into a GIS system that took a top-down look at locations they were able to pinpoint the location of the child.

Urban sprawl and growth is also being managed with GIS. The city of Durham, NC uses aerial imagery to get a better look at changes being done to properties that impact land use, water runoff, and drainage.

There are several upcoming events focused on GIS as well as others that include discussion of the application of geospatial technology. Continue reading →

National Guard Chief Predicts Changes In Training

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From time to time GovEvents will come across information we feel our members and audience would benefit from. Here's something we wanted to share:

As some Army National Guard soldiers begin training under a new system that increases the number of days on the range, the chief of the National Guard Bureau predicts "some changes" if the greater demands are not sustainable over the next few years.

In remarks at a March 12 forum hosted by the Association of the U.S. Army's Institute of Land Warfare, Air Force Gen. Joseph L. Lengyel said the Sustainable Readiness Model put in place in fiscal 2017 as a means of reaching a higher level of readiness across all components makes higher training demands on reserve forces. It may not be sustainable for individual soldiers whose "civilian lives won't be able to tolerate it," he said. "I predict there will be some changes."

"Those heavy brigades are going to do 39 days one year, 48 days next year, 60 days in that third year and to sustain that readiness they're going to do 51 days the following year," Lengyel said. "That's a lot of training days. A lot of days." Continue reading →

Behind the Curtain: Modern Day Marine

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mdmFor this Behind the Curtain we're taking a closer look at what goes into planning Modern Day Marine. A production of the Marine Corps League, Modern Day Marine is a unique platform for the Marine Corps to meet and discuss their biggest challenges with industry.[Tweet "Behind the Curtain: A closer look at planning Modern Day Marine. #GovEventsBlog"] Held on the Marine Corps Base Quantico (in Quantico, VA - about 35 miles south of Washington DC), this event brings companies with innovative products directly to the Marines. This year's event is being held September 27-29. We spoke with show director, Charles Baisley to get a sense of what goes into producing this show and what attendees can expect this year.

Q: What is the history behind Modern Day Marine

A: The show is going into its 36th year. In 1996 the show moved to its current home at Marine Base Quantico. This location gives us a distinction among the military shows. Being on base we can easily draw large military attendee numbers. This has been especially helpful during times of travel budget restrictions. This location also supports our efforts to make this event a platform for the Marine Corps to share their stories of success and challenges. Modern Day Marine is produced for the Marine Corps with the support of our exhibitors.[Tweet "A platform for the Marine Corps to share stories of success & challenges. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

Defense in Depth: A Look at Defense Industry Events

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While the defense community is well acquainted with meeting and defeating big challenges, the dynamic nature of the cyber world is proving to be a daunting adversary for our military. From arming soldiers at the tip of the spear not only with weapons but also with data to fending off threats to cyber networks, defense professionals are in a constant learning mode while being on constant alert.[Tweet "The defense community is well acquainted with meeting and defeating big challenges. #GovEventsBlog"]

At GovEvents we are proud to be the defense community's one-stop-shop for finding training and networking events. We hope that our site takes some of the strain of this new tech frontier off their shoulders.

In this post we want to highlight some of the key events coming up for defense professionals through the end of the year.[Tweet "In this post we highlight some of the key events for defense professionals. #GovEventsBlog"] Continue reading →

US Government Shutdown Hampers Attendance at Defense Conferences

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Originally posted by Marcus Weisgerber and Michelle Tan on Defense News

WASHINGTON -- The US government shutdown and travel restrictions placed on Pentagon civilian and military officials who are still working is hampering attendance at defense conferences.

At least one major conference has been postponed and uncertainty surrounds several upcoming events.

On Wednesday, the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation -- which organizes the GEOINT Symposium, scheduled for next week in Tampa, Fla. -- postponed the event until spring 2014 due to travel bans on military and government personnel.

Continue reading →