Community Mission
The mission of the Geospatial Working Group (GWG) is to expand awareness and leverage the power of geospatial engineering to enhance operational outcomes. We aim to build a foundation that integrates people, processes, and tools, enabling the creation of digital solutions that improve engineering across basing, support, and battle spaces. Positioned under the Infrastructure Readiness (IR), the GWG serves as a vital cross-functional asset within SAME.
Join the SAME Engage GWG NetworkCOI Objectives
- Reinforce Geospatial Engineering as one of the three core doctrinal U.S. military engineer functions, emphasizing its role in supporting cross-functional missions across the entire Force.
- Support and contribute to Geospatial-Intelligence (GEOINT) activities by delivering engineering capabilities that enhance data accuracy and understanding of geographic locations.
- Provide expertise in data analysis and portrayal of both natural and constructed geographic features and boundaries, essential for mission planning and decision-making.
- Integrate diverse skill sets within Geospatial Engineering, including architects, cartographers, coders, data analysts, geospatial engineers, remote sensing specialists, and sUAS pilots, to offer comprehensive support to military and engineering operations.
- Leverage geospatial data to refine insights and enhance situational awareness for improved operational outcomes across multiple disciplines.
“The Geospatial Community of Practice is an umbrella
community encompassing Survey and Mapping, Remote Sensing, GIS,CAD-BIM, and
other groups engaged in geospatial work.“
– Mr. Jacob Watts, Geospatial Community of Practice Leader, USACE
Community Chair
Douglas Kaiser, PMP
Geospatial Project Manager
Organization Structure
Immediate Past Chair: Scott Ensign II, GISP, MSgt, Ret, USAF, Air Force Civil Engineer Center
Vice Chair, GeoWERX: Brian Best, GISP, HDR (Term ends May 2026)
Immediate Past Vice Chair, GeoWERX: Dan Mummert, PE, Pickett and Associates, LLC
(Term ends May 2026)
Assistant Vice Chair, GeoWERX (NEW POSITION– Vacant)
Vice Chair, Liaisons and Communications: Justus Eckstrom, Dewberry
Secretary (NEW POSITION– Vacant)
Senior Uniformed Advisor (NEW POSITION– Vacant)
Junior Uniformed Advisor (NEW POSITION- Vacant)
JETC 2025 (Louisville, KY)
- GeoWERX ’25 Demonstration
- Annual Geospatial Working Group Meeting
- DoD Installation Geospatial Information & Services Governance Group (IGG) Quarterly Meeting (IGG members only)
- DoD Geospatial Engineering Summit
- Geospatial Engineering Social
OPM Job Series
- Geography Series 0150
- Engineering Technical Series 0802
- Construction Analyst Series 0828
- Cartography Series 1370
- Cartographic Technician Series 1371
- Land Surveying Series 1373
- Geodetic Technician Series 1374
- General Physical Scientist Series – 1301
- Data Science Series – 1560
- Technical Information Specialist (Physical Science and Imagery) Series- 1412
Military (Uniformed)
Air Force
Army
USMC
U.S. Navy
DoD’s Digital Twin Definition: A digital twin is a virtual representation of a product, system, or process that uses the best available models, sensor information, data collected from the physical system, and input data to mirror and predict system activities and performance over the life of its corresponding physical twin and inform system design changes over time. There can be multiple digital twins of a system, but all digital twins should be based on authoritative sources of information and have clearly defined uses and scopes. Digital twins may vary in fidelity, based on the use case.
(Source: DoD Instruction 5000.97, Digital Engineering, December 2023/ Summary)
System of Systems: Built & Natural Infrastructure Digital Twin requires a system of systems approach as multiple sources of authoritative infrastructure data are derived via operations/ processes/ systems of distinct CE functional communities.
“The adoption of Digital Twins requires senior management to stop seeking short-term “solutions” and invest in a successful methodology capable of driving information management along the entire lifecycle. Because Digital Twins cannot be bought off the shelf, they require development by a robust methodology and strategic plan which focuses on the successful management of the flow of information across the entire construction lifecycle.” (Source: House of Digital Twins – AEC Business)
This annual demonstration executed during JETC offers a wide variety of expertise, processes, and tools for attendees to view in action, in addition the ability to discuss their application to unique mission requirements with those executing the demonstration.
Why GeoWERX? Pursuit of infrastructure Digital Twins has a very long history, but modern interests have been ignited by continued and sustained advances in technologies making them more accessible. The power of these types of capabilities are currently only limited by imagination and available resources; their potential return on investment- staggering. From traditional survey, BIM/ CAD, cartography, and GIS to Digital Twin, High-Definition Survey (HDS), sUAS, AI/ ML/ AR and beyond geospatial engineers continue to excel, showing the way!
GeoWERX ‘24 – JETC 2024, Orlando
- Story Map – pending
- Video
- Article- Guest Post: Engage With the “Silent Function” at JETC 2024
GeoWERX III – JETC 2023, San Antonio
GeoWERX II – JETC 2022, Aurora
GeoWERX I – JETC 2019, Tampa
- GISP – GIS Certification Institute (GISCI)
- GEOINT Professional Certification – National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA)
- Certified Survey Technician – National Society of Professional Surveyors
SAME has entered a partnership with Bootcamp GIS to offer our members the latest program of geospatial industry short courses. Engineers, planners, and environmental scientists can elevate their skills in the growing $18B Geographic Information System industry. As a Subject Matter Expert platform, our members can apply to author a course or sign up as a student to learn applied skills. You can take an individual course or earn a GIS certificate by taking six courses in six months.
Data
Data Standards
The key is to think about geospatial technology not as playing one particular role but as adding unique capabilities and progressively more value at different stages of the digital twin journey.
Upcoming National Webinars
-
- Webinar
Surprising Stories About Camp David’s Unique History
Do you know the original name of Camp David? Do you know its historic role in the WW-2 D-Day invasion, or even where the secret presidential retreat is located? Please join us for this compelling webinar presented by a former commander of Camp David who will answer these questions and provide scores of other interesting facts and stories about the 84-year-old mountaintop refuge. -
- Webinar
The Latest in HRSC: Real-Time Data and Remedial Alternatives
The process of High-Resolution Site Characterization (HRSC) continues to evolve, giving environmental professionals faster, more defensible ways to understand and remediate contaminated sites.
Related TME Articles – Geospatial Working Group
-
The Federal Contractor Reimagined
Innovation Theater presented by Federal Solutions Company. Through a pioneering model that unifies technical trades, expands national reach, and absorbs risk that is traditionally carried by general contractors, FSC has become one of the most agile and valuable partners in mission-critical and national defense construction. -
ENGINEERS IN CRISIS: The 9/11 Pentagon Response
When a hijacked Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, a specially trained military engineering unit based at Fort Belvoir was among the first groups to respond—and its adaptive readiness and selfless service epitomize the legacy of all who swear to “honor and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic.” -
Engineering Diplomacy in Palau
As part of a recent deployment to the Republic of Palau, the U.S. Army’s Civic Action Team 84-10 completed a series of community-focused engineering projects that not only delivered critical infrastructure support but strengthened trust and host-nation relationships in an important strategic area of the globe. -
Scaling AI to Support Wildfire Debris Recovery
To support debris removal operations following the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires, an AI-assisted approach initially used as part of wildfire recovery efforts in Maui was scaled up for parcel-level vehicle detection across a larger, more complex debris removal environment.
