Opening military feature layer packages on ArcGIS.com

To add military features to a map, use ArcGIS feature templates that adhere to military symbology specifications. These feature templates are provided for you in Esri military feature layer packages posted to ArcGIS.com.

It is important that you start with these layer packages anytime you want to add military features to a map, because the packages contain rules to make symbols adhere to the military symbol specifications supported by ArcGIS. For example, the packages contain pre-defined label properties that tell ArcGIS things like where to position each type of label (text modifier) around the feature and which labels should be visible by default.

This topic provides:

• A table that lists, describes, and links to each military feature layer package posted by Esri at time of publication
• Required steps for using Esri military feature layer packages
• Layer package tips

List of Esri military feature layer packages and their layers

All available military feature layers created by Esri are provided in the Military Overlay layer package. All other military feature layer packages contain a subset of the layers in the Military Overlay layer package. Layers that have the same name across these packages contain the same feature templates.

All military feature layer packages provided by Esri are in the ArcGIS for Defense and Intelligence public group on ArcGIS.com.

Layer package name and link to it on ArcGIS.com	Description	Included layers
Military Overlay	Contains all the feature templates and layers listed in this table—all C2 operational features and METOC features based on MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for: Friendly units, equipment, installations, and operations Hostile units, equipment, installations, and operations Neutral units, equipment, installations, and operations Unknown units, equipment, installations, and operations Stability operations Emergency management METOC points, lines, and areas For details on which features are included, see The Military Overlay layer package.	Friendly Units Friendly Equipment Friendly Installations Friendly SIGINT Friendly Operations Point Friendly Operations Line Friendly Operations Area Hostile Units Hostile Equipment Hostile Installations Hostile SIGINT Hostile Operations Point Hostile Operations Line Hostile Operations Area Neutral Units Neutral Equipment Neutral Installations Neutral SIGINT Neutral Operations Point Neutral Operations Line	Neutral Operations Area Unknown Units Unknown Equipment Unknown Installations Unknown SIGINT Unknown Operations Point Unknown Operations Line Unknown Operations Area EMS Units EMS Equipment EMS Installations EMS Incidents EMS Natural Events Stability Locations Stability Organizations Stability Operations Stability Incidents METOC Point METOC Line METOC Area
Friendly Operations	Contains feature templates for all friendly installations, SIGINT, and C2 operational features for MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for friendly units, equipment, installations, and operations.	Friendly Units Friendly Equipment Friendly Installations Friendly SIGINT Friendly Operations Point Friendly Operations Line Friendly Operations Area
Hostile Operations	Contains feature templates for all hostile installations, SIGINT, and C2 operations features from MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for hostile units, equipment, installations, and operations.	Hostile Units Hostile Equipment Hostile Installations Hostile SIGINT Hostile Operations Point Hostile Operations Line Hostile Operations Area
Neutral Operations	Contains feature templates for all neutral installations, SIGINT, and C2 operational features in MIL-STD 2525C. The schema lets you create features for neutral units, equipment, installations, and operations.	Neutral Units Neutral Equipment Neutral Installations Neutral SIGINT Neutral Operations Point Neutral Operations Line Neutral Operations Area
Unknown Operations	Contains feature templates for all unknown installations, SIGINT, and C2 operational features in MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for unknown units, equipment, installations, and operations.	Unknown Units Unknown Equipment Unknown Installations Unknown SIGINT Unknown Operations Point Unknown Operations Line Unknown Operations Area
Emergency Management	Contains feature templates for emergency management features from MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for emergency management units, equipment, installations, incidents, and natural events.	EMS Units EMS Equipment EMS Installations EMS Incidents EMS Natural Events
Stability Operations	Contains feature templates for stability operations features from MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for stability locations, organizations, operations, and incidents.	Stability Locations Stability Organizations Stability Operations Stability Incidents
METOC	Contains feature templates for all METOC features from MIL-STD-2525C. The schema lets you create features for METOC points, lines, and areas.	METOC Point METOC Line METOC Area

Required steps for using Esri military feature layer packages

1. Before you open the layer package in ArcMap, open the map you want the military features in, then turn on the Maplex label engine:
   • Turn on the Labeling toolbar (right-click any toolbar button and click Labeling).
   • On the Labeling toolbar, click the Labeling drop-down menu and click Use Maplex Label Engine.
   Note:

   The Maplex Label Engine setting is saved with the map.

2. Click a link above for the layer package you want, or browse the ArcGIS for Defense and Intelligence public group on ArcGIS.com until you find a layer package you want. If you are unsure, use the Military Overlay layer package, because it contains all of the layers in the other military feature layer packages.
3. Click the Open link under the thumbnail image, then click Open on the File Open dialog box.
4. The Import Schema Package dialog box appears. Click Browse to open the Open workspace dialog box. Use this dialog box to create a new geodatabase for the layer package:
   • Click the New File Geodatabase button .
   • Type a name for the new geodatabase, then press the ENTER key.
   • Click the name you just typed to make the name display in the Name text box.
   • Click the Add button to close the Open workspace dialog box.
   • Click OK to close the Import Schema Package dialog box.

   For an example walk-through of opening a specific layer package, see The Military Overlay layer package.

Tips

• If you have trouble finding a layer package, make sure that you select Show All Content on ArcGIS.com (the default is to show only web content).
• To view all the layer packages in the Esri ArcGIS for Defense and Intelligence group, go to the ArcGIS.com site and enter defense in the Search text box. You may have to click the Search for Groups list item that displays when you click in the Search text box.
• You can create any military feature that isn't provided as a feature template in the layer packages. For details, see Define new types of UEI features. The reason Esri did not create a layer package that contains all UEI features is due to the large number of them that would be required. Because the military specifications allow for so many combinations (for example, combinations of type/affiliation, unit size, and status), providing one of each is impractical, not only for Esri, but for users as well. For example, there are thousands of unit types alone.