A new geospatial cell at the Army Reserve’s 416th Theater Engineer Command headquarters has received its first soldier. Army Master Sgt. Steve Lotz, a self-proclaimed “map geek,” is now looking for more soldiers to join him there.
The cell, part of a larger redesign of the 416th TEC HQ in Darien, Illinois, is a small operation. When fully staffed, it will have seven soldiers, mostly senior non-commissioned officers and warrant officers, according to an article at Defense.gov.
Lotz said the ideal personnel to fill those spots are people who have a passion for maps and geospatial data.
“For us in the TEC, terrain analysis would be huge,” Lotz said. “You have to remember that the Earth changes. Terrain changes. To get that data up to date and get that analysis is very helpful to any commander, to any unit.”
The TEC’s focus is on engineering. The data that the geospatial cell will analyze will aid commanders in strategizing engineer-centric missions.
The 416th TEC is designed to operate as a joint task force headquarters, providing command and control engineer assets from every branch of the military when needed.
“We are going to have the first eyes on everything,” Lotz said. “We are going to see it ahead of time what soldiers are going to have to face before they head in there. Nobody likes the unknown.”
