The military uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to help understand terrain and its effect on battlefield support ("In Search of Military GIS" 1). By becoming more cognizant of terrain conditions, the United States military has become the most lethal and efficient military in the world.

Understanding terrain has been important to military operations for roughly 1000 years ("The Role of Geographic Information Systems on the Ele

The U.S. military wants to be able to find, identify and strike key targets more rapidly (Fulghum 56). To accomplish this goal, our military need the most accurate and current information available. GIS allows information from joint task forces, satellite imagery and intelligence data to be combined ("Maps, Images Made to Order" 56). The integration of data from multiple sources ensures accuracy and makes the most current data available to aid in the decision making process. Having the most current data available has become a key factor in the operational success of multinational forces. Technical superiority and quick response time are becoming the most important elements of modern conflicts ("In Search of Military GIS" 4). During the Persian Gulf War, the ability of guided missiles and smart bombs to accurately strike targets from long distances instilled a sense of fear in the Iraqi military while softening their defenses prior to U.S. ground troops entering the country. Utilizing satellite imagery and other GIS related tools, U.S. military leaders were able to target, assess and strike key support elements, equipment and facilities located deep within the borders of Iraq. Triangulating multiple images of the same area allows the military to obtain more accurate coordinates. The importance of accurately striking a target is high during armed conflicts. If a target is missed due to incorrect coordinates, the probability of the enemy moving the asset prior to a second strike is highly probable. There is no guarantee that our forces will get another opportunity to strike the target and our opportunity to destroy the asset may be eliminated.

ctronic Battlefield" 1). Many great battles have been won and lost due to geography. Elements such as terrain, weather and soil can have a major impact on the outcome of a battle. Napoleon's attempt to enter Russia just before the Russian winter is probably the most glaring example of what can happen if geography is not weighed in military plans. The world is constantly changing but a map cannot. Once it is created it starts to become out of date ("GIS for Defense" 2). Areas that were once heavily forested can be destroyed by fire. Floods can destroy roads that serve as major thoroughfares. Should these disasters or any other natural or man-made occurrences take place, the map created suddenly becomes incorrect. Leaving our military with incorrect portrayal of the area of operations. Some maps that would be used by deployed soldiers are more than 25 years old ("In Search of Military GIS" 2). It is extremely difficult for our armed forces to produce maps that cover the entire world and once an area is completed it can be years before data is recompiled to produce new maps. In that time, numerous features can change through construction, demolition and natural disasters. Leaving our military unaware of what obstacles or available resources may exist when they arrive on the battlefield. The existence of new roads or destruction of existing highways must be incorporated into the planning phase of any operation to ensure success.

Remote Sensing collects reflected radiation in 7 bands of the electromagnetic spectrum ("Interview with Joe Martins by Milton Richardson"). This information can aid in determining available cover and concealment, terrain that cannot be traversed and the location of cities that may be key factors in support for troops. Sensors provide information on soil saturation, vegetation density and cities. By determining the thickness of vegetation on the battlefield, military planners can identify areas that will provide cover and concealment for ground personnel

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Approximate Word count = 2475
Approximate Pages = 10 (250 words per page double spaced)