Mapping the Battlefield

By Alex Davis

The resident soldiers of Algonquin College; you may have seen them on campus before wearing suits of digital camo, massive green backpacks and shining black combat boots. To me they are like ancient Greek hoplites, adorned in that mesmerizing green camouflage, with physical strength that completely emasculates me whenever I see them, yes even the females.

But who are they? Are they just regular soldiers, hanging around our college for fun? I wanted to meet them, but I didn’t have the courage to approach them in even the most comfortable of settings. That did not stop my quest to know more about them, as I began delving into the history of Algonquin College and the Canadian Forces…

In 2007, Algonquin College began collaboration with the Canadian Forces (C.F.) that would last to this day. They drafted an agreement with the C.F., intending to deliver college-approved certificates in Geomatics to Canadian Forces personnel. At that point, the C.F. and Algonquin College entered into a unique partnership. Algonquin College had been teaching Geomatics for many years, but had never trained military personnel on its campus before. The agreement stated that Algonquin College would provide classrooms and controlled Geomatics computer laboratories as well. The College’s on-campus accommodations and stores were also offered to personnel who required them (which would explain why they were everything on Campus).

Well okay, the C.F. personnel everywhere around the Campus are Geomatics Technicians. But what exactly is a Geomatics Technician?

Geomatics Technicians or GEO TECH’s, are members of the Military Engineering Branch of the Canadian Forces. They are the ones who capture, synthesize, present and manage geospatial information.

To get a better picture, imagine that you are on a battlefield. It doesn’t really matter which battlefield you choose, because in reality battlefields are all the same when you are completely lost. So what does a soldier do when he is lost? He pulls out a map, a map which is constructed by a Geomatics Technician.

GEO TECH’s are masters of their trade, the map-makers of the 21st century. Using high tech tools like satellites and GPS they generate an accurate and completely three-dimensional rendering of a battlefield. Not only must they meet standards of physical fitness, but they are some of the smartest individuals working for the Canadian Forces. They are the eyes of military commanders, before they even see the battle space.

In order to be considered for the position of GEO TECH, an applicant must have completed high school with a minimum 75% average and must have taken College preparatory math. An applicant must have stereovision acuity, a strong orientation to technology and be an independent problem solver. They

must work competently with computers and perform repetitive tasks while working to precise standards. Along with all those requirements, the applicant has to be as physically fit as everyone else in the Canadian Forces, going through the mandatory three months of basic training common to all trades.

So after learning about the Geomatics Technicians of the Canadian Forces, do I see them any differently than when I first saw them? No! In fact, now that I know about their stringent requirements, their demanding educational regime and their important job, they are even more like giants. They are men and women that do a job little known outside military circles, in an organization that keeps Canada safe.

My thanks to the Geomatics Technicians of the Canadian Forces, the military mappers of the 21st century.