With its new organizational membership with the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF), Civil Air Patrol is strengthening its growing role within the national geospatial information, intelligence, remote sensing, and GIS community.
“Civil Air Patrol’s membership in the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation represents a meaningful step forward in connecting our cadets and senior members with a rapidly advancing area critical to national security and emergency response.”
Aye added, “This partnership expands educational opportunities, strengthens our relevance within the geospatial community, and highlights CAP’s growing capabilities in supporting the nation through geospatially informed operations. It also reinforces our commitment to developing the next generation of aerospace leaders.”
Christine Devine, director of education and professional development with the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation in Washington, D.C., talks to the 21 cadets attending CAP’s first-ever National Geospatial Academy. (CAP photo by 1st Lt. Tracey Birch)
What is USGIF?
USGIF is a nonprofit educational foundation dedicated to advancing geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) through collaboration between government, industry, academia, nonprofit organizations, and professionals across the geospatial enterprise.
More than 300 corporate, federal, and academic entities — and now CAP — are organizational members of USGIF, where they gain insights from the nation’s brightest minds in the field and contribute to shaping the future of geospatial intelligence (GEOINT).
The foundation supports education, workforce development, professional networking, scholarships, conferences, working groups, and innovation focused on imagery analysis, mapping, GIS, remote sensing, artificial intelligence, and spatial analytics.
“Civil Air Patrol has been developing the next generation of aerospace and national security leaders for decades — and that mission aligns directly with our own. We're proud to welcome CAP to the USGIF community. Their work in cadet development and aerospace education creates a natural pipeline into the GEOINT tradecraft, and we see this membership as an important step in building the diverse, mission-ready workforce our community needs.”
National Geospatial Academy cadets and cadre visit the Pentagon, Washington, D.C., June 26. (DoW photo by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Madelyn Keech and Tech. Sgt. Milton Hamilton)
Rapid Growth for CAP’s Geospatial Program
The CAP Geospatial Program has been in continuous development since the fall of 2018. Maj. Gen. Mark Smith, then-CAP’s national commander and CEO, officially approved it to become one of the organization’s national programs on July 31, 2019.
Led by the program's founder and volunteer manager, Maj. Scott Kaplan, and supported by a dedicated team of volunteers, the program has made significant strides in advancing CAP's geospatial capabilities.
Over the past several years, CAP has expanded its use of geospatial technologies to support disaster response, emergency services, aerospace education, and STEM initiatives.
Today, more than 2,600 volunteers contribute to the program, supporting federal and emergency management partners through geospatial damage assessments and the analysis of aerial imagery, satellite imagery, and GIS data to provide decision-makers with critical situational awareness.
More recently, the program has expanded its focus to geospatial education and spatial learning, introducing cadets to GIS, remote sensing, and other geospatial technologies as part of CAP's Aerospace Education mission.
National Geospatial Academy cadets tour the FEMA National Response Coordination Center in Washington, D.C. (CAP photo by 1st Lt. Tracey Birch)
More Than a Membership for CAP
For Civil Air Patrol, the partnership with USGIF represents more than a membership, it creates a bridge between CAP’s operational missions and the broader geospatial community to affect the future of GEOINT. The foundation serves as an organizational connector for the nation’s geospatial community, and CAP is very much a part of that community.
By joining USGIF, CAP gains additional opportunities to collaborate with leading geospatial organizations, technology companies, educational institutions, and government partners. And that excites Kaplan, who says the membership in turn will increase visibility of CAP’s missions and volunteer capabilities within the larger geospatial enterprise.
The benefits extend beyond CAP itself.
USGIF’s mission centers on “Building the Community, Advancing the Tradecraft, and Accelerating Innovation,” bringing together professionals and organizations from across the geospatial ecosystem. Through CAP’s membership, the broader USGIF community gains access to an organization that combines aviation, emergency services, STEM education, youth development, and operational geospatial capabilities in ways few organizations can.
In addition, the partnership creates opportunities for increased collaboration between CAP members and USGIF programs, including educational resources, scholarships, networking events, working groups, and conferences such as the GEOINT Symposium. These connections help expose CAP members to real-world applications of geospatial intelligence across disaster response, aviation, environmental monitoring, infrastructure, defense, public safety, and national security.
Cadets learn about geospatial tools at the National Geospatial Academy, held June 21-28 at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. (CAP photo by 1st Lt. Tracey Birch)
Introducing America’s Youth to GEOINT
CAP’s cadet programs and Geospatial STEM initiatives also introduce younger generations to geospatial technologies and careers, helping develop future talent pipelines for the GEOINT workforce.
For instance, a CAP Geospatial Program goal was reached in June when CAP hosted its first-ever National Geospatial Academy, one of the organization’s 40 National Cadet Special Activities offered each summer.
Bringing 21 cadets from across the nation to George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, the team introduced cadets to the entire geospatial community. It included discussion with some of the most senior leaders and connectors in the geospatial industry, and visits with agencies, industry, and academia involved in the geospatial ecosystem, including the USGIF.
“As industries and government agencies continually increasing their reliance on GIS, remote sensing, drones, artificial intelligence, and spatial analytics, organizations like CAP play an important role in building awareness and interest in these rapidly growing fields.”
Future Collaborations in the Works
CAP's partnership with USGIF will provide extraordinary opportunities for cadets. In 2027, a select group of CAP cadets will attend the GEOINT Symposium in Orlando, Florida, where they will engage with leaders from government, industry, and academia while exploring the cutting-edge technologies, innovations, and career paths shaping the future of geospatial intelligence.
As CAP continues to modernize and expand its geospatial capabilities, membership in USGIF reinforces a shared commitment to education, innovation, collaboration, and service.
Together, CAP and USGIF are helping strengthen connections between technology, geospatial intelligence, emergency response, and the next generation of leaders who will shape the future of the geospatial profession.
Join CAP’s Geospatial Volunteers
The CAP Geospatial Program and its damage assessment teams are open to any CAP member regardless of age or other diversity measure. Everyone is welcome.
