An army or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or state. It may also include aviation assets by possessing an army aviation component. In certain states, the term army refers to the entire armed forces. Within a national military force, the word army may also mean a field army.
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies off the eastern coast of the Asian continent and stretches from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and the Philippine Sea in the south.
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and lying to the east of the Asian mainland. The name Korea is derived from Goguryeo which was one of the great powers in East Asia during its time, ruling most of the Korean Peninsula, Manchuria, parts of the Russian Far East and Inner Mongolia, under Gwanggaeto the Great. South Korea lies in the north temperate zone and has a predominantly mountainous terrain. It comprises an estimated 51.4 million residents distributed over 100,363 km2 (38,750 sq mi). Its capital and largest city is Seoul, with a population of around 10 million.
Until its inactivation in April 2006, the 20th Operational Weather Squadron was responsible for producing and disseminating mission planning and execution weather analyses, forecasts, and briefings for Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Guard, Reserve, USFK, PACOM, PACAF, USAPRAC, SOCPAC, and NAVPAC forces operating at 115 installations/sites over 5.2 million sq.mi. within the Pacific theater of operations.
A navy or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It includes anything conducted by surface ships, amphibious ships, submarines, and seaborne aviation, as well as ancillary support, communications, training, and other fields. The strategic offensive role of a navy is projection of force into areas beyond a country's shores. The strategic defensive purpose of a navy is to frustrate seaborne projection-of-force by enemies. The strategic task of the navy also may incorporate nuclear deterrence by use of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Naval operations can be broadly divided between riverine and littoral applications, open-ocean applications, and something in between, although these distinctions are more about strategic scope than tactical or operational division.
This weather squadron was 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 was able to 'watch' the weather in their entire area of responsibility from one central location.
The Operational Weather Squadron was the first place a newly schooled weather apprentice would report. At the squadron, working alongside a seasoned weather professional, the forecaster was trained in all aspects of Air Forcemeteorology, from pilot briefing to tactical forecasting.
Meteorology is a branch of the atmospheric sciences which includes atmospheric chemistry and atmospheric physics, with a major focus on weather forecasting. The study of meteorology dates back millennia, though significant progress in meteorology did not occur until the 18th century. The 19th century saw modest progress in the field after weather observation networks were formed across broad regions. Prior attempts at prediction of weather depended on historical data. It was not until after the elucidation of the laws of physics and more particularly, the development of the computer, allowing for the automated solution of a great many equations that model the weather, in the latter half of the 20th century that significant breakthroughs in weather forecasting were achieved.
The weather squadron worked closely with the combat weather flights they support to ensure a flawless exchange of weather information.
Yokota Air Base, is a United States Air Force (USAF) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) base in the city of Fussa, one of 26 cities in the Tama Area, or Western Tokyo.
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organization has provided 70 years of continuous air power to the Pacific since its establishment in September 1941.
Lineage
Activations and Inactivations of the 20th Weather Squadron, and 20th Operational Weather Squadron.
Constituted 20th Weather Squadron and activated on 15 Apr 1943 Disbanded on 31 Oct 1943 Reconstituted on 4 Nov 1944 Activated on 6 Dec 1944 Inactivated on 18 Feb 1957 Activated on 2 Mar 1964 Organized on 8 Jun 1964 Inactivated on 1 Sep 1976 Activated on 1 Jan 1985 Inactivated on 1 Jun 1992 Redesignated 20th Operational Weather Squadron on 13 Jul 2000 Activated on 1 Oct 2000 Inactivated on April 17, 2006
Duty Assignments
List of duty assignments and parent units from 1943 to present.
Cairo is the capital of Egypt. The city's metropolitan area is one of the largest in Africa, the largest in the Middle East, and the 15th-largest in the world, and is associated with ancient Egypt, as the famous Giza pyramid complex and the ancient city of Memphis are located in its geographical area. Located near the Nile Delta, modern Cairo was founded in 969 CE by the Fatimid dynasty, but the land composing the present-day city was the site of ancient national capitals whose remnants remain visible in parts of Old Cairo. Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life, and is titled "the city of a thousand minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture. Cairo is considered a World City with a "Beta +" classification according to GaWC.
Egypt, officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia by a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. Egypt is a Mediterranean country bordered by the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast, the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea to the east, Sudan to the south, and Libya to the west. Across the Gulf of Aqaba lies Jordan, across the Red Sea lies Saudi Arabia, and across the Mediterranean lie Greece, Turkey and Cyprus, although none share a land border with Egypt.
Manila, officially the City of Manila, is the capital of the Philippines. It is the most densely populated city proper in the world. It was the first chartered city by virtue of the Philippine Commission Act 183 on July 31, 1901 and gained autonomy with the passage of Republic Act No. 409 or the "Revised Charter of the City of Manila" on June 18, 1949.
Approved on 9 Oct 1986 Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The weather satellite symbolizes the mission of the unit to provide support in the atmospheric sciences. The black and light blue background depicts night and day capability. The globe is from the emblem of the parent major command and further depicts global responsibilities. The two stars indicate the services, US Air Force and U.S. Army, that the unit supports by providing meteorological information.
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, describing for example the degree to which it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the lowest level of the atmosphere, the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate is the term for the averaging of atmospheric conditions over longer periods of time. When used without qualification, "weather" is generally understood to mean the weather of Earth.
History
The 20th Weather Squadron activated at Cairo, Egypt, on April 15, 1943, and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force, but was soon thereafter disbanded on October 31, 1943.
In May 1945 the squadron moved its headquarters by from Biak Island to Fort William McKinley near Manila, Philippines. By the close of July 1945, the squadron had grown to more than 700 men and the headquarters was overseeing the work of 34 weather stations, many of which were in isolated locations.
The Army Air Forces Weather Service assumed control of all weather organizations on July 1, 1945, and organized the 20th under the 1st Weather Group on September 20, 1945. Due to congested quarters at Fort William McKinley, the 20th’s headquarters moved again in August 1945 to nearby Nichols Field. While headquartered in the Philippines, the 20th lost two men to combat action.
Following the capitulation of Japan, the 20th began its long association with Japan. The squadron moved its headquarters to Tokyo on November 2, 1945, and accompanied Headquarters, Fifth Air Force to Nagoya on May 22, 1946.
War demobilization caused the 20th to lose personnel rapidly. To accomplish its growing mission, the 20th hired local nationals, employed non-weather officers to oversee some weather stations, and began on the-job schools to cross-train enlisted men into weather career fields.
By late 1946, the 20th was operating weather stations in Japan, China, and Korea. The 20th relinquished control of the China stations in 1947 and the last Korean station was closed in 1949. The squadron came under the leadership of the 2143d Air Weather Wing in 1949.
Within three days of North Korean troops crossing into South Korea in June 1950, a detachment of the 20th Weather Squadron was airlifted to Daegu, Korea. The leadership of the 20th Weather Squadron was soon burdened by the growth of detachments both in Korea and Japan to support the war effort. By early November 1950, the 20th was overseeing 27 detachments, eight of which were in Korea, where, on average, one of these detachments relocated every five days. The Air Force activated the 30th Weather Squadron to oversee Korean operations, but the 20th remained deeply involved in the war effort.
The 20th was assigned to the newly activated 1st Weather Wing in 1954. The squadron was inactivated on February 18, 1957, but emerged anew at Fuchu Air Station, Japan, on June 8, 1964, where it remained until 1974 when it relocated to Yokota Air Base. Again, it was inactivated in 1976 as part of an Air Weather Service reorganization only to return at Yokota on January 1, 1985.
Service Streamers. World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Theater; Korean Service Campaign Streamers. World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater, New Guinea 1943-1944 Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for periods: Mar 1956-Oct 1956; 2 Jul 1967-30 Jun 1969; 1 Jul 1970-30 Jun 1972; 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1974-30 Jun 1976; 1 Jul 1986-30 Jun 1988.
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Related Research Articles
United States Air Forces Korea and USAFK redirect here.
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