The Military Overlay layer package for ArcGIS

The Military Overlay layer package, MilitaryOverlay.lpk, is the main Esri layer package for military features (military symbols) because it contains nearly all feature templates produced by Esri for the defense and intelligence community. It contains feature templates for the following military features, so that you don't have to create them from scratch:

• All C2 military operations features in the supported specifications, such as axis of advance main attack.
• Some units, equipment, and installations (UEI) features, such as a generic infantry platoon unit. 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.
• Features from other categories in the supported specifications, such as meteorological and oceanographic (METOC), emergency management, signals intelligence, and stability operations features.

MilitaryOverlay.lpk, available on ArcGIS.com, is a schema-only layer package, which means that it contains a database schema (database tables with defined field names), but unlike other Esri layer packages, it contains no data (the fields in the database contain no values).

To open MilitaryOverlay.lpk, click here for the ArcGIS.com search results page for "military overlay." Or you can follow the steps below, which apply to any Esri military feature layer package. For descriptions and links to additional layer packages, see Opening military feature layer packages.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap and Open a map or start ArcGlobe and open a globe.
2. Turn on the Labeling toolbar (right-click any toolbar button and click Labeling), then on the Labeling toolbar, click the Labeling drop-down menu and click Use Maplex Label Engine. Note: the Maplex label engine turns off when you close ArcMap. You can set the default label engine to Maplex so that this doesn’t happen.
   1. In ArcMap under the Customize pull-down, select ArcMap Options.
   2. In the ArcMap Options window, select the Data View tab.
   3. Under Default Labeling Properties use the drop-down menu next to Label Engine to select Maplex Label Engine.
   4. Click theOK button.
3. If you have an Internet connection, on the Standard toolbar in ArcMap, click the drop-down arrow next to the Add Data button , then click Add Data from ArcGIS Online. Skip to step 5.
4. If the machine on which you are using ArcGIS doesn't have an Internet connection, you can sign in to ArcGIS.com (also known as ArcGIS Online) from any machine, then save the layer package to a place you can access, such as a network location or a flash drive. Then, in Windows Explorer, copy MilitaryOverlay.lpk to a local directory. Open that directory, then drag and drop MilitaryOverlay.lpk into the map display area of ArcMap. Skip to step 7.
5. On the ArcGIS.com window, navigate to MilitaryOverlay.lpk. You can enter Military Overlay into the search text box.
6. Click the Add Data button .
7. In the Import Schema Package dialog box that appears in ArcMap, click the Browse button.
8. In the Open workspace dialog box, click the New File Geodatabase button .
9. Type a name for the new geodatabase, then press the ENTER key.
10. Click the name you just typed to make the name display in the Name text box.
11. Click the Add button to close the Open workspace dialog box.
12. Click OK to close the Import Schema Package dialog box.

    The layer package's layers are displayed in the left pane (the table of contents). Its feature templates are displayed in the right pane (if you don't see them, start an edit session). You are now ready to add, to your map or globe, military features based on the templates in the main military overlay layer package for ArcGIS.