Courtesy Photo | Staff Sgt. Sean Tarbell (left), 116th Weather Flight forecaster, Washington Air...... read more read more
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Members of the 116th Weather Flight (WF) demonstrated their capabilities in tactical meteorological operations, providing weather support for Exercise Joint Readiness Training Center (JRTC) 24-09 at the JRTC, Louisiana, July 8 to Aug. 5, 2024.
Four members from the 116th WF and two from the 164th WF, Ohio Air National Guard, formed an integrated Combat Weather Team (CWT). Over the course of four weeks, the CWT provided weather forecasts, ensuring the safety of aviation operations.
JRTC 24-09 hosted approximately 4,900 Soldiers from 26 states and two territories. The exercise simulated a combat zone and created realistic environments to help prepare participating units for complex operations.
“The idea behind this is to certify at the division and brigade level if their units are combat-ready,” said Senior Master Sgt. David Giddens, 116th WF senior enlisted leader. “We were tasked to provide weather support to Task Force PALERIDER which was the aviation element.”
The CWT faced real-world challenges that demonstrated the critical role weather plays in both ground and aviation operations.
“The first night the area was hit by severe thunderstorms,” said Master Sgt. James Moats, 116th WF craftsman. “We provided warning, but many areas flooded, so there was a lot of chaos the first night and we ended up sleeping in a Chinook helicopter.”
Giddens expanded on the impact that weather had on day-to-day operations, emphasizing its pervasive influence.
“Weather influences pretty much everything that happens on ground and in the air,” Giddens said. “Case in point, we had to suspend operations at one point in time because we issued watches, warnings, and advisories for lightning within five nautical miles associated with thunderstorm activity. That brought all aviation activity to a standstill.”
The JRTC training environment presented an opportunity for 116th WF airmen to develop and refine critical skills in a challenging, resource-sparse environment, particularly in the subtropical heat and humidity of Louisiana.
“The benefit out of this, in the grand scheme of things, is that the training and the location is probably closer to the [Indo-Pacific Command] environment than anything we would ever be able to attain in the Northwest,” said Giddens. “It’s very humid, very hot. This is July in Louisiana... so environmentally, it was very similar to potential challenges and possible future mobilizations in the INDOPACOM theater.”
In addition to environmental challenges, the team also faced the need to adapt and operate with limited resources and communications. The training helped reinforce the need for flexibility and critical thinking.
“It prepares members of the Weather Flight to be able to utilize critical thinking skills in order to adapt to rapidly changing and, at times, chaotic conditions,” Giddens said. “It prepares the unit for operating in a condition that it has historically not operated in — a humid, subtropical environment — and with limited resources to sustain operations.”
Moats felt the experience built resilience in the participating members, who, despite the hardships, embraced the training as an opportunity for growth.
“It’s one of those things that makes you stronger,” Moats said. “We were dreading it, but I think it makes you a more resilient person.”
| Date Taken: | 07.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.24.2025 14:07 |
| Story ID: | 486930 |
| Location: | LOUISIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 74 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, 116th Weather Flight endures extreme conditions in training, by A1C Jordaan Kvale, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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