The National Guard Bureau (NGB) has a requirement to support civil support efforts nationwide. The National Guard in this r ole is a resource provider and force multiplier to civil authorities. For these missions, the National Guard through t echnology attempts to enhance and supplement critical State and local civilian agencies. Such enhancements r equire access to state-of-the-art information, computing, and technology expertise. In 1998, the Georgia Tech Re search Institute (GTRI) led the effort for the National Guard Bureau to create the NGB Technology Consortium. The purpose of this Consortium is to provide premier unbiased expertise and support to the National Guard through quick response and affordable technology solutions.

EOSL is the primary technical lead and program manager of the NGB Technology Consortium which is a University consortium providing unbiased scientific and technical advice and solutions to the National Guard for counterdrug and civil support operations. Some of these technical solutions have included:

• advanced decision support systems,
• comprehensive mapping tools,
• spatial/spectral signatures target recognition,
• air-to-ground video/data down-linking and communications,
• and several camera/sensor upgrades to the C-26, C-130 and OH-58 airframes.

The NGB Technology Consortium has worked with over 29 government and industry organizations to date in their support of leading edge missions of the National Guard in homeland security and counter narco-terrorism. Some of these other agencies include: NORTHCOM, the Central MASINT Office, SOUTHCOM , US Army, Navy and Air Force.

Current primary partners with GTRI in the Technology Consortium include the Center for Higher Learning (University of Southern Mississippi (CHL-USM)), West Virginia University (WVU, joined in 2001), and the Naval Research Lab at Stennis Space Center, MS (NRLSSC). All are helping provide the National Guard and their customers with the expertise and technology to meet their requirements in the field.

This Technology Consortium of unbiased University and Non-profit partners has deployed many tools to the field including the Mississippi Counterdrug Enforcement Decision Support System (MCEDSS) and Digital Mapping Server (DMS) portal through the Counterdrug Geographical Regional Assessment Sensor System (CD-GRASS) program. This program is:

• cost effective - having leveraged millions of dollars of previous investments at all three institutions;
• working in partnership with over 29 other local, State and Federal agencies;
• and provides products to all levels of Government and civil support.