Buckeye team takes GEOINT honors

8 Dec 2006 -- Vicksburg, Miss. -- The Topographic Engineering Center's BuckEye team was recognized for its exemplary work with the U.S. Geospatial Intelligence Foundation's (USGIF) Geospatial Intelligence Achievement Award (Military category) during the 2006 GEOINT 2006 Symposium's Hall of Fame Awards Dinner Nov. 16 in Orlando, Fla.

The USGIF recognizes the substantive achievements of a variety of individuals and organizations, from promising students to high-achieving corporate, government and military teams, as well as individuals who have demonstrated a lifetime of leadership in the geospatial intelligence field. The BuckEye program was chosen because it had greatly contributed to the geospatial capability of coalition forces in the Global War on Terrorism by producing a system that provides high-resolution imagery for use in detecting ground changes, creating detailed maps and obtaining Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) information.

Eight members of the 40-person team accepted the award, an honor that would not have been possible without the coordinated and dedicated efforts of TEC's Soldiers, Civilians, and contractors.

"Teamwork was key in overcoming many of the challenges we faced," said Mike Hardaway, Buckeye project manager. "The biggest challenge was the merging of the two sensors -- digital camera and Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) -- onto the same platform. This had not been done before (much less thought about) with the specific sensors we had. The teamwork that took place between the contractors and government was incredible, especially when you consider the time frame we were working against."

"The award symbolizes the teamwork, long hours, harsh environment and many frustrating circumstances that led to a set of products that saves Soldiers' lives and help them accomplish their mission," said Robert Burkhardt, TEC director. "Certainly, our contract partners have been essential to our success. Flightland Data, SAIC and Airscan are wonderful, dedicated organizations focused on doing the right things for our Soldiers. We're proud of them all, especially those who have deployed with us and risked their lives to serve Soldiers."

BuckEye's contributions to the Global War on Terrorism are especially noteworthy given its staff's ability to "do more with less," accomplishing its mission with a minimum of funding and personnel.

"I think it demonstrates just how innovative, persistent and focused our team is on helping the warfighter to visualize the urban and complex battlespace that they operate in," said Chief Warrant Officer Mike Harper, TEC military deputy/adviser. "BuckEye has been successful because it fills a gap in Army capabilities. Maneuver commanders need the capability to rapidly map their battlespace and provide Soldiers with current, mapping quality imagery in order to fight successfully in urban and complex terrain."