GIS System for DPMO, Arlington, VA
The Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) was established in 1993, after the U.S. Senate called for the Department of Defense to form a single office to oversee and manage POW/MIA issues. On behalf of the Secretary of Defense, DPMO works to limit the loss or capture of Americans who are serving abroad, and to bring home those who are captured or killed while serving our country. Of the 16 million Americans who served in WWII, more than 400,000 died during the war. At the end of the war, there were approximately 79,000 Americans unaccounted for. This number included those buried with honor as unknowns, officially buried at sea, lost at sea, and missing in action. Today, more than 73,000 Americans remain unaccounted for from WWII. “Keeping the Promise” is DPMO’s motto, which refers to the promise, made by the U.S. Government to recover and account for missing Americans.
DPMO’s mission requires a team of more than 100 civilian and military personnel who have expertise in the following areas: (1) Plans, policy, control and oversight; (2) Gathering and analyzing case-related information; and (3) informative and timely outreach to families and the public. Recognizing their need to upgrade their GIS software and become self sufficient in administering their GIS system, DPMO chose Spatial Engineering (SPATIAL) to help meet their goals.
- Conducted a Needs Assessment at the DPMO headquarters in Arlington, VA.
- Simplified their GIS Enterprise system to something the DPMO GIS users could maintain and manage without high level GIS support
- Upgraded ESRI software 9.3.1 to 10.1 and incorporate fundamental changes to the DPMO database and Web server/GIS server.
- Conduct custom training with customer including installation of new software.
- Provided customized Administration manual(s).
- Implemented Oracle Windows Authentication for the Geodatabase as well as Windows Authentication for their secure intranet Websites.
- Provided the option of allowing multiple users to upgrade their data via their Editor Website thus reducing the need for desktop licenses for data entry only.
- Provide editors/users ability to visualize spreadsheet data on a map with imagery.
Accomplishments
- Upgraded Esri software to 10.1
- Upgraded Geodatabase to 10.1
- Set up Oracle Windows Authentication
- Created two secure DMPO GIS websites:
- The first allows DPMO management view only capability.
- The second allows DPMO GIS users ability to edit data via the web.
- Coordinate JPAC and DPMO.
