The Joint Staff published Joint Vision documents in 1996 and 2000 to provide the joint conceptual framework for the transformation effort. The United States Army embarked upon its own transformation towards its Objective Force in conjunction with the Joint Vision. Both initiatives depend upon realizing the potential of information age technologies and exploiting the information superiority to which those technologies contribute. Geospatial information provides the foundation for information superiority, which in turn supports the initiatives embodied in Army transformation and the tenets of Joint Vision. Geospatial information references locations on the surface of the earth incorporating the domains of land, sea, air and space and, as such, becomes the foundation upon which all other battlespace information is integrated. Geospatial information provides the basic framework for battlespace visualization, planning, decisions and actions. Without geospatial information, information superiority and subsequently decision superiority cannot succeed. While significant progress has occurred technologically, challenges remain with systems interoperability, training and support agencies. Part of the challenge rests in changing the experiential mindset - "but this is the way we have always done it" - in ensuring the United States Army's acquisition systems develop interoperable technological applications based on a sole common geospatial information baseline and revising the education and training systems that support the military and its support agencies. In conclusion, geospatial information is a relevant enabler but still requires continued refinements to meet the demands of Joint Vision and Army transformation in developing current and future requirements.

ADA416084 Approved for public release; Distribution is unlimited. The opinions and conclusions expressed herein are those of the student-authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College or any other governmental agency. (References to these studies should include the foregoing statement.)