Geospatial engineering capabilities have experienced significant improvements due to organizational changes, technological advancements, and emerging best practices. Geospatial engineering leverages ever-finer temporal and spatial resolutions from additional sensors and platforms that allow increased volumes and more complex data. New methods and technologies provide additional utility and the ability to work effectively within a broad pool of partners and allies.
Army Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (ATTP) 3-34.80 describes doctrine for geospatial engineering operations at all echelons. It is an extension of Field Manual (FM) 3-34 and is linked to joint and other Army doctrine to ensure its usefulness for operational-level commanders and staff. This manual serves as a guide for the integration of geospatial engineering in support of full spectrum operations at all echelons, with added focus on describing the "how-to" within divisions and the brigades. This publication applies to the Active Army, Army National Guard, Army National Guard of the United States, and the United States Army Reserve unless otherwise stated.
ATTP 3-34.80 combines, updates, and supersedes material from FM 3-34.230, FM 5-33, and Training Circular (TC) 5-230 and is built directly on new or revised joint and Army doctrine, notably Army capstone doctrine found in FM 3-0 and engineer keystone doctrine presented in FM 3-34. This revision also captures the results of lessons learned and observations from recent operational experiences in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other locations, to include the challenges of operating in complex terrain.
This manual will serve as a reference document for engineer commanders and staff, leaders, training developers, and doctrine developers throughout the Army. It will be a primary manual for instructional purposes in the United States Army Engineer School (USAES) and will help other Army branch schools in teaching the integration of geospatial engineering capabilities into Army operations.
The manual is organized into three chapters, with supporting appendixes, which sequentially describe geospatial engineering, the roles and responsibilities for integrating geospatial support at the various echelons, and how it is integrated within the Army’s operations process. A brief description of each of the chapters and appendixes is provided below.
• Chapter 1 describes the role of geospatial engineering in supporting full spectrum operations and its importance for understanding the operational environment (OE).
• Chapter 2 discusses the geospatial engineering capabilities that reside within each of the echelons down to the BCT. It also describes the critical roles and responsibilities that national- and defense- level agencies and Army units and staffs have in providing geospatial engineering in support of Army operations.
• Chapter 3 focuses on the "how-to" for integrating geospatial engineering capabilities into the Army operations process.
• Appendix A provides examples of geospatial products that aid terrain visualization and support decisionmaking.
• Appendix B provides information on gathering, storing, and disseminating relevant digital terrain data that support operations and enable decisionmaking.
• Appendix C outlines the format and provides examples of GI for inclusion in Army mission plans and orders.
• Appendix D describes the six characteristics of terrain that geospatial engineers analyze in determining the terrain’s effects on operations.
• Appendix E further describes the geospatial engineering organizations that support each echelon down to BCT.
• Appendix F describes the digital topographic support system (DTSS) family of systems that geospatial engineers use to support mission requirements.
