Anyone can use the following 'live' GISsurfer map to help learn about Military Grid Reference Sysytem (MGRS) coordinates. This map with a MGRS grid will work in most browsers on most devices including cell phones.
The map is displayed by GISsurfer which is a general purpose web map based on the Leaflet map API (Application Program Interface). For a description of all the features of GISsurfer that support MGRS coordinates (search, geolocation, etc) and links to USNG/MGRS videos plus other educational material, please download the USNG and MGRS Coordinates pdf file.
New for 2023: There are now some tutorial videos to help you learn about GISsurfer. For links to those videos, open the GISsurfer homepage (https://gissurfer.com), click the green 'Menu' button and go to the Help page.
Do you use ATAK? GISsurfer has a feature called 'screenshot mode'. The short story is that feature will let you make georeferenced JPG and PNG files which you can import into ATAK as part of a KMZ file. The videos that I am still working on will walk you though that process. The JPG/PNG files can show almost any data that GISsurfer can display.
USNG stands for U.S. National Grid. MGRS and USNG are the same except MGRS is often written without spaces. If you know MGRS then you already know USNG.
As you zoom in the grid will become more detailed. Note that different basemaps let you zoom in different amounts. Use the Menu button to toggle the MGRS coordinates grid on/off.
While the map is open you can now display data from *any* public-facing (i.e. no login required) ArcGIS server along with an MGRS grid on top of that data. To get started, click the basemap button (next to the 'Menu' button) then under the 'Overlay' heading, click "Add GIS overlays". In the popup that appears, click 'Help'.
New for 2022 - Offline maps that display MGRS.
You can now use GISsurfer to take a series of screenshots that exactly adjoin. Those screenshots can show any public GIS data. I will show you where you can put those JPGs online at no cost. You can then use the GeoJPG web app (I am the developer) to install the JPGs on your phone or tablet and view those JPGs as an *offline* map with geolocation and the MGRS grid turned on. To learn more please see the GeoJPG website.
For more information about GISsurfer, please visit the GISsurfer homepage.
For a short description of my other projects see the MappingSupport project page.