The Official U.S. Army Map Reading and Land Navigation Handbook

by Department of the Army

Overview

The U.S. Army’s official guide to map reading, determining location, and navigating

For a soldier, knowing where you are is a matter of life and death, and so it comes as no surprise that the Army has produced the most complete, clear, and thorough guide to map reading and navigation available.

The book starts with a comprehensive explanation of the meaning and uses of maps, whether photographic, planimetric (standard-style), or topographic, then proceeds to the use of those maps, discussing compass techniques, celestial navigation, and determination of distance. There is a detailed section on interpreting topographic maps, with notes on tactical considerations for differing terrain, as well as determining the ease of movement through an area.

The book’s crucial, well-illustrated chapters have invaluable information on:

• Training Strategy
• Maps
• Marginal Information and Symbols
• Grids
• Scale and Distance
• Direction
• Overlays
• Aerial Photographs
• Navigation Equipment and Methods
• Elevation Relief
• Terrain Association
• Mounted Land Navigation
• Navigation in Different Types of Terrain
• Unit Sustainment

There is also information on field sketching, the tricky art of map folding, units of measure and conversion factors, map symbols, orienteering, and the global positioning system (GPS).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493069293
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	10/15/2022
Pages:	192
Product dimensions:	8.80(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.50(d)

Table of Contents

Preface vii

Part 1 Map Reading

Chapter 1 Training Strategy

1-1 The BuildingBlock Approach 1-1

1-2 Armywide Implementation 1-2

1-3 Safety 3-2

Chapter 2 Maps

2-1 Definition 2-1

2-2 Purpose 2-1

2-3 Procurement 2-1

2-4 Security 2-2

2-5 Care 2-2

2-6 Categories 2-2

2-7 Military Map Substitutes 2-4

2-8 Standards of Accuracy 2-4

Chapter 3 Marginal Information and Symbols

3-1 Marginal Information on a Military Map 3-1

3-2 Additional Notes 3-4

3-3 Topographic Map Symbols 3-4

3-4 Military Symbols 3-4

3-5 Colors Used on a Military Map 3-5

Chapter 4 Grids

4-1 Reference System 4-1

4-2 Geographic Coordinates 4-1

4-3 Military Grids 4-7

4-4 The US Army Military Grid Reference System 4-9

4-5 Locating a Point Using Grid Coordinates 4-12

4-6 Locating a Point Using the US Army Military Grid Reference System 4-14

4-7 Grid Reference Box 4-16

4-8 Other Grid Systems 4-17

4-9 Protection of Map Coordinates and Locations 4-18

Chapter 5 Scale and Distance

5-1 Representative Fraction 5-1

5-2 Graphic (Bar) Scales 5-2

5-3 Other Methods 5-8

Chapter 6 Direction

6-1 Methods of Expressing Direction 6-1

6-2 Base Lines 6-1

6-3 Azimuths 6-2

6-4 Grid Azimuths 6-2

6-5 Protractor 6-4

6-6 Declination Diagram 6-6

6-7 Intersection 6-9

6-8 Resection 6-10

6-9 Modified Resection 6-12

6-10 Polar Coordinates 6-12

Chapter 7 Overlays

7-1 Purpose 7-1

7-2 Map Overlay 7-1

7-3 Aerial Photograph Overlay 7-3

Chapter 8 Aerial Photographs

8-1 Comparison With Maps 8-1

8-2 Types. 8-1

8-3 Types of Film 8-5

8-4 Numbering and Titling Information 8-6

8-5 Scale Determination 8-6

8-6 Indexing 8-8

8-7 Orienting of Photograph 8-11

8-8 Point Designation Grid 8-12

8-9 Identification of Photograph Features 8-15

8-10 Stereovision 8-16

Part 2 Land Navigation

Chapter 9 Navigation Equipment and Methods

9-1 Types of Compasses 9-1

9-2 Lensatic Compass 9-1

9-3 Compass Handling 9-1

9-4 Using a Compass 9-2

9-5 Field-Expedient Methods 9-6

9-6 Global Positioning System 9-10

Chapter 10 Elevation and Relief

10-1 Definitions 10-1

10-2 Methods of Depicting Relief 10-1

10-3 Contour Intervals 10-2

10-4 7 Types of Slopes 10-4

10-5 Percentage of Slope 10-6

10-6 Terrain Features 10-9

30-7 Interpretation of Terrain Features 10-14

10-8 Profiles 10-16

Chapter 11 Terrain Association

11-1 Orienting he Map 11-1

11-2 Locations 11-4

11-3 Terrain Association Usage 11-4

11-4 Tactical Considerations 11-6

11-5 Movement and Route Selection 11-8

11-6 Navigation Methods 11-9

11-7 Night Navigation 11-12

Chapter 12 Mounted land Navigation

12-1 Principles 12-1

12-2 Navigator's Duties 12-1

12-3 Movement 12-1

12-4 Terrain Association Navigation 12-3

12-5 Dead Reckoning Navigation 12-4

12-6 Stabilized Turret Alignment Navigation 12-5

12-7 Combination Navigation 12-5

Chapter 13 Navigation in Different Types of Terrain

13-1 Desert Terrain 13-1

13-2 Mountain Terrain 13-3

13-3 Jungle Terrain 13-4

13-4 Arctic Terrain 13-6

13-5 Urban Areas 13-7

Chapter 14 Unit Sustainment

14-1 Set Up a Sustainment Program 14-1

14-2 Set Up a Train-the-Trainer Program 14-1

14-3 Set Up a Land Navigation Course 14-2

Appendix A Field Sketching A-1

Appendix B Map Folding Techniques B-1

Appendix C Units of Measure and Conversion Factors C-1

Appendix D Joint Operations Graphics D-1

Appendix E Exportable Training Material E-1

Appendix F Orienteering F-1

Appendix G M2 Compass G-1

Appendix H Additional Aids H-1

Appendix I Foreign Maps I-1

Appendix J Global Positioning System J-1

Glossary Glossary-1

References References-1

Index Index-1