FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March ARMY SELECTS V CORPS ENGINEER OFFICER

							FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                        March 5, 2007

ARMY SELECTS V CORPS ENGINEER OFFICER TO
ATTEND PRESTIGIOUS BRITISH MAPPING SCHOOL
By Spc. Joseph McAtee
V Corps Public Affairs Office

HEIDELBERG, Germany -- The United Kingdom and the United States have shared

a longstanding military alliance that has allowed the two to cooperate in numerous

ways. Soon, Maj. Michael L. Wood, V Corps geospatial officer, will participate in that

alliance when he becomes one of only two U.S. engineer officers chosen this year to

attend the Royal School of Military Survey in Berkshire, England.



“This school selection is very

prestigious and is only offered to

officers who represent the very best

of the U.S. Army Engineer Corps,”

said Lt. Col. Robert Bayham, plans

officer for V Corps’ staff engineer

section.
                                                                         COURTESY MAJ WAYNE WOOD
                                       Maj. Wayne Wood of V Corps' 320th Engineer Company
                                       (Topographic), 130th Engineer Brigade, takes part in training
Upon completion of the course in       in Kuwait on October 10, 2005, prior to the 320th's second
                                       deployment into Iraq. Wood was recently selected to attend
                                       the British Royal School of Military Survey -- one of only two
Defense Geographic Information,
                                       U.S. Army engineer officers chosen this year to train at the
                                       prestigious institution.
Wood will receive a master’s degree
from Sheffield Hallam University in Sheffield, England. The Royal School of Military

Survey’s curriculum includes topics such as geospatial mathematics, digital mapping,

imaging modules, and traditional surveying techniques and principles.



The school's geospatial subjects include geodesy, imagery, cartography, Geographic

Information Systems, printing, geographic requirements and geographic information

dissemination, said British Maj. (Ret.) Tony Keeley, RSMS training coordinator.



"It is a 14-month residential course during which students gain particular benefit

from exposure to a variety of different nations and the opportunity to make contacts

and forge friendships invaluable for coalition operations in the future,” Keeley added.



The major noted that the school has a storied history of working with other nations

to improve their respective military establishments' geographic skills, especially the

United States.



“There is a long history of attendance by students from the U.S. Corps of Engineers,

particularly since the advent of the master of science (degree program),” he said,

"and recent years have seen two students on each course. (The upcoming) Army

Survey Course is scheduled to have five Royal Engineers; two U.S. Corps of

Engineers (officers); two civilians from (the Corps of Engineers’ Topographic

Engineering Center) and the U.S. Marine Corps (Marine Corps Intelligence Agency); a

Canadian officer, and finally, an officer from Singapore.”



Keeley proudly noted the prestige of the school and its flagship course, the Army

Survey Course.
“The Army Survey Course has been running for over 60 years, and has an

international reputation, numbering amongst its alumni heads and former heads of a

number of overseas military survey and national survey organizations.”



As a geospatial officer, Wood is relied upon to supply the corps with strategic and

tactical maps, on paper and in digital format. He often coordinates with the corps’

subordinate units to facilitate data sharing and research. In addition, Wood is tasked

with identifying the requirements for digital data, imagery, and other geospatial

requirements that help unit terrain teams in their missions.



                                                     Wood has deployed twice to support

                                                     Operation Iraqi Freedom with his

                                                     geospatial expertise. For his work he

                                                     has been awarded two Bronze Stars --

                                                     the first for his support of V Corps’

                                                     movement from Kuwait into Baghdad

                           COURTESY MAJ WAYNE WOOD
                                                     in the opening combat phase of OIF in
Maj. Wayne Wood (front row, far right) joins Soldiers and
civilian employees from the Multi-National Corps - Iraq    2003, and the second for his work as
engineer section, the 320th Engineer Company (Topographic)
and the National Geospatial – Intelligence Agency to       the theater’s geospatial officer.
celebrate Geographic Information Systems Day in Baghdad,
Iraq, November 16, 2005. The celebration provides an
international forum for users of GIS technology to
demonstrate its real-world applications.                   Bayham, who has worked with Wood

more than a year and a half, called Wood “perhaps the most experienced and self

educated engineer officer in the field of geospatial engineering.”
Wood, 32, grew up in Nampa, Idaho, and joined the Army 13 years ago. He still

maintains a home in North Ogden, Utah.