MIA Recovery Network – GIS data conversion and web map proof of concept/2016
As my first GIS Corps mission, I was very passionate to do a good job. I am touched by their goals because my first GIS experience was in the Army and I have a father who survived WWII and the Vietnam War. MIA Recovery Network, as a non-profit agency, aims to identify unknown gravesites of military servicemen that fought and died around the world. They have a database of 2000 plus gravesites and it continues to grow. Like most data conversion projects, the project required data cleanup, data migration, and data normalization. The biggest challenge was to make the proof of concept project work for an organization that did not have time to learn the intricacies of managing data but still ended up with the desired workflow to keep up with their GIS. With this proof of concept I hope the members of their organization will have another valuable tool with good information to use to accomplish their mission. Through this project I also learned about the numerous American Battle Monuments that were established by the United States around the globe to honor its heroes who have fallen in battle.
I am very passionate and enjoy sharing my GIS knowledge and expertise, whenever I can lend a helping hand or volunteer. Aside from love of God, country, family, and helping my users use GIS to solve their work problems, I am also an avid golfer and love to travel in the US and around the world with family as time and resources allow.
