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 Facility Asset Management (FAM) COI, the GWG serves as a vital cross-functional asset within SAME.
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 Leader
Community Chair
Scott Ensign II, GISP MSgt, Ret, USAF, Air Force Civil Engineer Center (Term ends May 2025)
Community Structure
Organization Structure
Immediate Past Chair: David Foster, Lt Col, USA, Ret., 372 Consulting, LLC (Term ends May 2025)
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)
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)
GeoWERX Demo’s
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!
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.
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.
