NGIAA MEMBERS’ IMPACT ON THE ENDING OF THE COLD WAR

After the atomic conclusion of WWII, the stalemate in Korea, and with the initiation of the space race between the USSR and US, these two world powers embarked on a Cold War struggle, the former to dominate the world, the latter to prevent that from happening. It is well established in military history that the nation that is most knowledgeable of the battlefield holds a significant advantage in combat. On the global Cold War battlefield, strategy depended upon military parity or mutually assured destruction. During the period between 1962 and 1989, the US military mapping, charting and geodetic services played a critical role in giving the US the advantage, bankrupting the USSR, and ending the Cold War.

There were four critical geospatial technologies that the US Military needed to gain battlefield knowledge superiority. First, was a very precise model of the shape and size of the earth to an accuracy of a few feet worldwide. This was needed as a reference system for navigation and guidance systems. Second, was the missile and aircraft launch positions and the assigned target positions half way around the world. Third, was a detailed model of the variations in the pull of gravity at the missile launch site and the gravity effects on inertial navigation and guidance systems worldwide. Fourth, was a detailed model of the topography and natural and manmade features on the earth’s surface for intelligence assessments and military deployments.

The men and women of the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA) took on the task of developing a World Geodetic System (WGS), to replace the myriad of national and regional reference systems which then existed. WGS became the standard for all strategic and tactical systems and forces. The second task was to take essential satellite and airborne imagery of the earth and precisely position the imagery so that target and intelligence assessments could be established in a very dynamic and fast moving cat and mouse mobile environment. This was known as the Strategic SIOP target list. The third was to build gravity collection systems and collect relative and absolute gravity over the earth. The gravity collection included cooperative exchanges with nations, oil companies, and universities worldwide. The DMA World Gravity Model became the standard and official worldwide model for navigation and scientific studies. Fourth, DMA along with NATO allies ran a 24 hour, seven day a week operation to create a worldwide digital elevation data base and a manmade feature data base to support the strategic and tactical weapon guidance systems and troop deployment systems. These are the data bases that helped bring US Forces into the era of Smart Weapons Systems, such as Cruise Missile. The Navy’s nuclear submarines faced a similar need for updating their inertial navigations systems. The need was met by creating sea bottom digital elevation footprints, similar to the dry land versions produced for cruise missiles. The point-positioning and geodetic/gravitational models also served Naval strategic weaponry, as well as other, more specialized products. Each of these efforts presented unprecedented technical and resource challenges and required significant technological breakthroughs. The pinpoint accuracy of the Pershing II has been cited as a major factor influencing the USSR to seek the Treaty on Intermediate Range Nuclear Forces, which was signed in 1987.

In 1984 DMA received the Defense Meritorious Award from the Secretary of Defense for the major effort that gave the US military a strategic advantage in the Cold War. A number of the employees also received Distinguished Executive awards from President Reagan for the significant contribution DMA made toward ending the Cold War.

The DMA contributions to the Cold War effort continue to pay dividends today for both the United States and the rest of the world.
--The World Geodetic System is the essential framework for the Global Positioning System.
--The cooperative mapping and charting programs undertaken to bulwark Third World nations against the threat and lure of Communism have served as the foundation for infrastructure and economic development around the world.
--Digital mapping technologies pioneered by DMA have been adopted by nations everywhere and affect our everyday lives through websites such as Google Earth and MapQuest.

In 1996, DMA became part of the new National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA), the precursor of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). The National Geospatial/Intelligence Alumni Association (NGIAA) is one of the agency's retiree groups, mainly comprised of former DMA headquarters, NIMA, NGA, and collaborative personnel.

Contributing to this article: Allen Anderson, Lawrence Ayers, and Edward Obloy.

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 NGIAA Newsletter Special Topic Article                                (posted August 24, 2008)

An “Air Force Mapper”
by Steve Pedone

Perhaps some alumni members would find it interesting to learn that there have been a few uniformed military personnel that served full careers in MC&G roles. My Air Force career is such an example. Here is a look at a military service career as an Air Force Cartographic/Geodetic Officer (AF Specialty Code 5716). Clearly, this is out of the past, because this career field and some of the assignments no longer exist. Perhaps you may wonder who’s performing similar roles today. That’s another story for another day.

My motivation for a service career undoubtedly stems from family tradition, being the son of an Air Force Colonel/pilot, who’s lead C-47 dropped the first Pathfinder paratroopers at night, behind enemy lines in France, to start the D-Day invasion. My mother was also there supporting D-Day, as one of the original Army Air Corps Medical Evacuation Flight Nurses. My father’s dad was with General Pershing’s first American Expeditionary Forces in France, during WW I. That’s a tough act to follow.

Click here to read about the extensive career of Lt. Colonel Pedone.