| 15th Operational Weather Squadron | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Active | 1999 – present |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Squadron |
| Garrison/HQ | Scott Air Force Base |
| March | Thunderstruck by AC/DC |
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron (15 OWS), based out of Scott Air Force Base, IL, is the largest Operational Weather Squadron in the Continental United States that does not have an overseas mission. [1] [2]
"Warfighter focused, warrior Airmen!"
 | This article appears to contain a large number of buzzwords .(May 2012) |
"Provide accurate, timely and relevant weather information to ensure safe, effective and efficient military operations and provide world-class training to build technical skills necessary to support the warfighter".
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron is responsible for producing and disseminating mission planning and execution weather analysis, forecasts, and briefings for Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Guard, Reserve, United States Strategic Command, and United States Northern Command forces operating at 137 installations/sites in a 24 state region of the northeastern United States, totaling over $200 Billion of assets and over 270,000 personnel including presidential support. [1] [2]
This weather squadron is responsible for base or post forecasting, developing weather products, briefing transient aircrews, and weather warnings for all of their geographical units. Using automatic observing systems located at all military installations and communicating with their combat weather flights, the squadron is able to 'watch' the weather in their entire area of responsibility from one central location. [1]
The Operational Weather Squadron is the first place a newly schooled weather apprentice will report. At the squadron, working alongside a seasoned weather professional, the forecaster is trained in all aspects of Air force meteorology, from forecasting to pilot briefing. The 15th Operational Weather Squadron is responsible for training 20% of all new Air Force enlisted forecasters and weather officers. [1] [2]
The weather squadron works closely with the combat weather flights they support to ensure a flawless exchange of weather information; to Andrews Air Force Base, Camp David, Dover Air Force Base, Ellsworth Air Force Base, Fort Belvoir, Fort Campbell, Fort Drum, Fort Eustis, Fort Knox, Grand Forks Air Force Base, Grissom Air Reserve Base, Langley Air Force Base, McGuire Air Force Base, Minot Air Force Base, Offutt Air Force Base, Scott Air Force Base, Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Westover ARB, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
15th Operational Weather Squadron's manning consists of active duty, reserve, civilian and contract personnel and is located on Scott Air Force Base, IL., Under the 1st Weather Group, Offutt Air Force Base, NE. [1] [2]
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron is divided into 5 different flights, Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Sierra and Tango. These 5 flights correspond to a specific Area of Operation(AoR), A, B and C flights (WXA, WXB, WXC) are responsible for the Active, and Reserve air stations and specific Army installations. TO (WXTO) Flight is responsible for Briefing pilots using a common DD Form 175-1, and Air Crew Graphics produce graphic charts. T Flight (WXT) is responsible for training and communications within the 15OWS.
A, B, and C Flight are responsible for the 17 active/reserve bases and 230 Department of Defense units at 144 installations across 24 states. Operations continue 24hour, 7-day-a-week and are divided into 4 cells: West, Central, East and PWW (Point Weather Warning).
X Flight is responsible for producing DD Form 175-1’s that are faxed or e-mailed to 151 flying units across the 24 state AoR, that produces a total of 2500 briefings per month. The Air Crew Graphics section of WXX produce graphic charts or "Forecaster in the loop" charts (FITL charts). This section produce Thunderstorms, Turbulence, Icing, Horizontal Weather depiction (HWD) or Fog forecast, Clouds, and Surface Precipitation charts comparable to the National Weather Service's AIRMETS and SIGMETS.
S Flight (WXS), otherwise known as the Communications Shop, is responsible for maintaining all 39 servers and 196 workstations of the 15th OWS. [2]
T Flight (WXT) is responsible for training new forecasters. [2]
List of duty assignments and parent units from 1942 to present. [3]
Approved on 9 October 1943 [3]
Blue and yellow are the Air force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air force personnel. The gauntlet gripping a lightning bolt from a thunderstorm cloud represents the unit's ability to maintain a firm forecasting grip on rapidly changing weather and assessment to the wing. The two background colors represent the day and night global capability and mobility of the unit. [3]
In the early months of World War II, weather support was unorganized and consisted of small groups of forecasters and observers attached to bombardment groups. In order to provide organization and centralization of Air Force Weather Agency, the 15th Weather Squadron was created. The 15th Weather Squadron was established 10 April 1942, and activated at McClellan Air Force Base, California, 22 April. With approximately 235 men, the squadron moved from McClellan Field to a staging area in the International Harvester Building in Oakland, California, 16 June. Where the Weather Squadron departed for Melbourne. [4]
In the later part of July and first part of August, the Headquarters in Melbourne were busy sending men to different weather locations in Australia stretching from Melbourne to Cape York Peninsula. About half went on a long rail trip north to Townsville, Queensland (approximately 1,000 miles). From their new headquarters location in Townsville, Queensland, the squadron could better support the network of stations located throughout Australia and New Guinea that were providing reliable weather information to the heavy bombardment groups then actively bombing Japanese installations in Papua and New Britain. [4]
By the end of World War II, more than 719 weathermen were assigned to 21 units in Australia, 23 units in New Guinea, eight units in the Philippines, and 17 units in the East Indies. The weathermen of the 15th WS were daring, courageous, and brave in their attempts to record the weather for the United States Army Air Forces. Besides the daily job of observing and forecasting the weather, the forecasters and observers attached to bombardment groups accompanied the planes on their missions adding in-flight weather information to the data and weather reports that were being transmitted over the network of weather and communications systems. Some came under attack by the Japanese, suffered the same routine of nerve-wracking bombing raids, ground attacks, disease, and discomfort that other ground and service forces endured. When the Japanese Army's advance was stopped, the men in the 15th WS accompanied United States Army troops and services forces to set up new weather stations at each of the islands they took back. In addition, some of the weathermen of the 15th Weather Squadron were selected for special training in guerrilla warfare for duty in the Philippines and in other areas of the Southwest Pacific. [4]
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron was formed as part of the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force's weather reengineering effort and commenced operations on 19 February 1999. The 125-person regional forecast center reaches full operating capability in June 2001 and provides direct meteorological support to the Tanker Airlift Control Center and total force flying missions in the northeast United States.
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron was the recipient of the United States Air Force Fawbush-Miller Award recognizing the Outstanding Operational Weather Squadron performing the most outstanding weather support, operations, and training. During 2000, the squadron pioneered the use of database and web technologies to produce and disseminate over 3 million forecasts for 126 Air Force and Army active duty, guard and reserve flying units in a 22-state area of responsibility. Their total integration with mission planners re-routing weather restricted C-5 Galaxy and C-17 Globemaster III missions ensured pinpoint selection of favorable air refueling tracks and airfields resulting in cost avoidance in excess of $12M. [5]
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron, Scott Air Force Base, IL., was the first of the four OWS's to re-align under the newly formed 1st Weather Group during a ceremony 25 May 2006. The 26th OWS was realigned at Barksdale Air Force Base, 22 June 2006. Next, was the 25th Operational Weather Squadron at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base on 6 July 2006, and the last addition to the team was the 9th Operational Weather Squadron which was re-activated on 20 July 2006 at Shaw Air Force Base. [6]
Kadena Air Base is a United States Air Force base in the towns of Kadena and Chatan and the city of Okinawa, in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. It is often referred to as the "Keystone of the Pacific". Kadena Air Base is home to the USAF's 18th Wing, the 353rd Special Operations Group, reconnaissance units, 1st Battalion, 1st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, and a variety of associated units. Over 20,000 American servicemembers, family members, and Japanese employees live or work aboard Kadena Air Base. It is the largest and most active US Air Force base in East Asia.
The 557th Weather Wing is a United States Air Force formation and its lead military meteorology center. It delivers environmental situational awareness worldwide to the Air Force, the Army, joint warfighters, Unified Combatant Commands, the national intelligence community, and the Secretary of Defense. It is headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, in Bellevue, Nebraska.
The 376th Air Expeditionary Wing is an inactive wing of the United States Air Force. It was last stationed at the Transit Center at Manas International Airport, Kyrgyz Republic, supporting U.S. and ISAF operations in Afghanistan.
The 1st Weather Group is a group of the United States Air Force. It oversees all six operational weather squadrons; the 15th OWS at Scott AFB, Ill.; the 17th OWS at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam, Hawaii; the 21st OWS at Kapaun Air Station, Germany; the 25th OWS at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.; the 26th OWS at Barksdale AFB, La.; and the 28th OWS at Shaw AFB, SC. The 1st WXG is a subordinate of the 557th Weather Wing.
The 9th Operational Weather Squadron, based out of Shaw AFB, SC, was the Squadron responsible for weather prediction in the Southeastern United States. It was split from the 28th Operational Weather Squadron in 2006. The 9 OWS inactivated on 31 May 2008 and merged with the 26th Operational Weather Squadron located on Barksdale AFB, Louisiana.
The 25th Operational Weather Squadron, based out of Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, is the Squadron responsible for the Western United States; the current states in the Area of Responsibility (AoR) are Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
The 26th Operational Weather Squadron (26OWS), based out of Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, is the US Air Force meteorological squadron responsible for the Southeastern United States. The current states in the Area of Responsibility (AOR) include Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and the Carolinas.
The 28th Operational Weather Squadron, is an operational weather squadron responsible for supporting USCENTCOM operations.
The 21st Operational Weather Squadron provides weather support for all US Air Force and Army in the European and Africa Commands and is based at Kapaun Air Station, Germany.
The 11th Operational Weather Squadron (11OWS) was an operational weather squadron of the United States Air Force. The squadron was based out of Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and was responsible for forecasting Alaska's weather and analyzing its climate.
The 20th Operational Weather Squadron which provided forecasts for the Air Force and Army in Japan and South Korea, is now inactive following the transfer of its mission to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii on April 17, 2006.
The 17th Operational Weather Squadron is a unit of the military of the United States. Based at Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii, it covers weather for the largest geographical area in the world.
The 22d Operations Group is the operational flying component of the United States Air Force 22d Air Refueling Wing. It is stationed at McConnell Air Force Base, Kansas, and is part of Air Mobility Command (AMC)'s Eighteenth Air Force.
The 346th Bombardment Group is a former United States Army Air Forces unit. It was last assigned to the 316th Bombardment Wing at Kadena Airfield, Okinawa, where it was inactivated on 30 June 1946. The group was originally a heavy bomber training unit, but was inactivated in a general reorganization of Army Air Forces training units in 1944. It was reorganized as a Boeing B-29 Superfortress group later that year. It moved to Okinawa in 1945, but arrived too late to participate in combat.
The 2d Systems Operations Squadron, stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, delivers global environmental intelligence products and services for the defense of the United States of America and its global interests through the 24 × 7 operation, sustainment and maintenance of Air Force Weather's strategic center computer complex, production network, and applications.
The 2nd Weather Squadron, headquartered at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., continuously supports Joint warfighters and Department of Defense decision-makers, including the intelligence community and space operators with accurate, relevant, timely and specialized global terrestrial and space observations, analyses, forecasts and alerts.
The 435th Bombardment Squadron, also known as the "Kangaroo" Squadron, is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was last assigned to the Eighth Air Force 333d Bombardment Group, based at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa. It was inactivated on 28 May 1946.
The 307th Operations Group is an Air Reserve Component of the United States Air Force. It is assigned to the 307th Bomb Wing, Air Force Reserve Command, stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
The 32d Air Expeditionary Group is a provisional unit of the United States Air Force (USAF). It is assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) to activate or inactivate at any time. It was last active as the 32d Air And Space Operations Center in December 2006 at Ramstein Air Base, Germany.
The 623d Air Control Squadron is an operational unit of the United States Air Force assigned to the 18th Wing. The 623d is based out of Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. The 623d is tasked to provide Command & Control within a sector of the Japanese Air Defense System. The 623d conducts operations out of Japanese Air Self Defense Force facilities located at Naha Air Base, Kasuga Air Base and Iruma Air Base. The 623d operates the Southwest Sector Interface Control Cell, conducting joint and bilateral tactical datalink operations.
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| Detachments | Det 1, Det 2, Det 4, Det 5, 2015th | ||||||||