Andy Coulson (CEMML GIS coordinator), Nathaniel Burrell (CEMML GIS Technician), Corey Clements (CEMML wildlife biologist), and Tom Edwards (CEMML GIS technician) unroll the pieces of the Battle Aide Map for assembly. The vinyl was stiff from the cold after being stored overnight in a vehicle but warmed up and smoothed out quickly. Fort Wainwright, Alaska, February 6, 2026. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Army, Brenda Fiddick. BY JODI PETERSON
When you think of a map showing a geographic location, what comes to mind? Perhaps a piece of paper a few feet wide? You probably didn’t picture one the size of a small house.
This massive map was recently created for a major military training event by CSU’s CEMML. CEMML’s Alaska-based Sustainable Range Program team, led by GIS coordinator Andrew Coulson, designed the 49-foot by 26-foot map. The Battle Aide Map depicts three Army training areas located near Fairbanks, Alaska. It’s printed on heavy-duty vinyl so that commanders and soldiers can walk on it, planning strategies and rehearsing exercises.
The BAM was put to use during February 2026 at the Joint Pacific Multinational Readiness Center training event at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. This annual event brings together 10,000 troops from the U.S. as well as allies such as Canada, Norway, Sweden, and Italy. Its realistic, high-intensity combat scenarios help military forces prepare for potential conflicts in cold-weather, high-latitude regions such as the Arctic.
The timeline for delivering the finished product was tight. Coulson described the challenges the team faced — designing the high-resolution map, determining what scale would best fit the areas to be depicted, then finding a printer who could print it in 5-foot-wide strips and ship it to Fort Wainwright in time for the event. CEMML staff converged from other Alaskan installations, such as Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, to help assemble the map strips with Velcro, a job that took nearly 5 hours. “This map is meant to be reusable,” said Coulson. “Military units know it’s a resource for them and can check it out for other training activities.” Matt Ley, the CEMML principal investigator in charge of the project, said, “It was a true team effort to pull this off in time.”