Geospatial Intelligence Battalion

The 3d Military Intelligence (MI) Center traces its lineage back to the U.S. Army Intelligence Threat and Analysis Center, commonly referred to as ITAC, which was organized in 1975. Effective 1 October 1977, ITAC was provisionally established as a major subordinate command of INSCOM and was collocated with the Defense Intelligence Agency at Arlington Hall Station. On 30 April 1985, ITAC was placed under the control of the Army Intelligence Agency until April 1991, when it was again placed under INSCOM.^[7]

In 1995, ITAC was realigned as the Training and Contingency Directorate of the National Ground Intelligence Center (NGIC). During this time, the 3rd MI Center, located at Fort Shafter, Hawaii, had been deactivated and its colors retired for three years.

On 16 October 2001, ITAC, now under the colors of the 3rd Military Intelligence Center, was formed into the Imagery Assessments Directorate of NGIC, and subsequently, the 3rd MI Center was re-activated at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. In the following decade, the directorate underwent several name changes, first to the Imagery and MASINT Assessments Directorate and later to the Geospatial Intelligence Directorate, before reaching its current incarnation, the Geospatial Intelligence Battalion, in 2011.^[6] At the time of the battalion's most recent redesignation, GEOINT functions that were previously performed independently by the Engineer and the Military Intelligence branches were merged. With this change came the addition of military geospatial engineers to the existing intelligence analyst manning structure. Other changes included standardizing how Army GEOINT cells are deployed and introducing opportunities for geospatial engineers and imagery analysts to train together at the U.S. Army Intelligence Center.^[6]

Since being stood up in 1975, the unit has provided GEOINT to support every successive major U.S. campaign, including operations Just Cause (Panama), Desert Storm (Kuwait), Uphold Democracy (Haiti), Restore Hope (Somalia), Support Hope (Rwanda), Joint Endeavor (Bosnia), Allied Force (Kosovo), Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan), and Iraqi Freedom (Iraq).^[7]

The 3d MI Center conducted four Mobile Training Team engagements focusing on leadership, analysis, equipment, and exercise support, reaching every unit deploying in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and training over 500 Soldiers per year at deploying units’ home stations. The unit also led Imagery Exploitation for Multi-National Force Iraq’s CACE during their Reliefs in Place/Transfers of Authority.^[7]

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army.