Marine Corps revamps its geospatial intel database

The US Marine Corp is reworking its infrastructure, geospatial databases and information systems while working to reduce overhead costs as part of an Infrastructure Reset Strategy.

The Infrastructure Reset Strategy is looking to upgrade aging Marine technology systems and databases to increase efficiency while decreasing spending, thus improving the quality of life for service men and women and their families.

The contract to upgrade the geospatial databases, facility planning, and services data management went to Logistics Management Institute (LMI), a consulting group headquartered in Tysons, VA that specializes in government management and technology, according to their website. This contract win is the largest LMI has ever won.

Geospatial technologies are used by the Marine Corp to ascertain intelligence about a specific geographic area- from terrain intelligence to usable transportation infrastructure, such as usable roads or waterways, in a specific location. The intelligence is gathered by specially trained marines and used for further analysis.

Maintaining the geospatial intelligence gained by specially trained Marines is of the utmost importance to the Corp, and LMI has been contracted to update the outdated systems to help them bring their database system up to date; this also allows savings on facilities costs.

The importance of having good data infrastructure systems was emphasized by General Robert B. Neller in a brief outlining the Marines’ plan to improve their infrastructure, “Data driven infrastructure investment decisions will link facility readiness as measured by condition, configuration, and capacity to mission impact.”

Geospatial technology is incredibly relevant as it impacts decision making and mission planning in both Marine Corp specific and joint operations, according to the Marines handbook on Geospatial Information and Intelligence.

With all geospatial data feeding into geospatial intelligence as a whole, it is important that their databases and data storage systems are up to date and maintained.

“This is a huge win for LMI. . . to execute the work of optimizing the Marine Corps’ infrastructure inventory,” said Jim Kessler, vice president of LMI’s Material Management division in a press briefing on their site. According to the same briefing, LMI will be focusing not only on the geospatial intelligence data system, but also facility planning and data management support.

The Infrastructure Reset Strategy will impact Marine Corp installations internationally, impacting Camp Lejeune, NC; Camp Pendleton, CA; Quantico, VA; Arlington, VA; Cherry Point, NC, Beaufort, SC; Twentynine Palms, CA; Yuma, AZ, Marine Corps Base Hawaii, HI, Miramar, CA, and two camps in Japan; Camp Butler and Iwakuni as well as several other places. The contract is to be completed in four year-long installments with the first year of work ending on October 18, 2018 but will continue on through to October 22, 2022. The biggest contract ever won by LMI, the total contract is worth over $46 million.