New Data Exchange Boosts Real-Time Operational Awareness

  • Published
  • By Rachel Nemitz and Lt. Col. Tyler Hough
MAXWELL AFB-GUNNTER ANNEX, Ala. --  Data access and sharing between business systems is paramount to accelerating Air Force leaders’ decision-making processes and expediting capability delivery to the field.

In March 2026, the Geospatial Engineering Operations Mapping and Analysis Portal (GEOMAP) program office successfully implemented a direct service connection with the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center (AFIMSC) and the Command and Control Incident Management and Emergency Response Application (C2IMERA). The effort transitioned operations from manual data entry to automated ingestion of authoritative geospatial data, significantly enhancing real-time situational awareness for wing commanders and major commands.

GEOMAP is a system representing real-world features such as runways and buildings in digitized formats to improve infrastructure management and decision support for construction and contingency planning.

C2IMERA is the C2 and emergency management system used for resource visualization, emergency response coordination, and personnel recall. The interface between the two systems is the first-ever system-to-system connection supporting AF/A4’s Enterprise Action Plan and the HQ AFIMSC directive to share combat support mission data via industry-standard IT interoperability protocols.

The new service connection between these two systems provides automated monthly and on-demand retrieval of the specific subset of GEOMAP data required to ensure an accurate representation of DAF installations in C2IMERA. This targeted service minimizes resource demands on both systems while enabling C2IMERA to retrieve map features by layer type and installation, store the data locally within its authorization boundary, and serve it to users on demand in both tabular and geospatial formats.

"Getting critical geospatial data into the hands of decision-makers is a vital part of what GEOMAP delivers," said Lt. Col. Tyler Hough, Materiel Leader, Civil Engineering Information Technology, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. "This direct connection with C2IMERA accelerates that delivery, ensuring that those at the tactical edge have the most current information. Increasing the velocity of that data to leaders directly impacting outcomes is essential for mission success."

Through close collaboration between GEOMAP, C2IMERA, and AFIMSC leaders, the projected six-month plan was rapidly executed in 120 days. This successful collaboration sets a precedent for future geospatial data sharing across the Department of the Air Force (DAF). By leveraging integrated geospatial data, the DAF continues to bolster force readiness and mapping capabilities across the enterprise.