Photo By Senior Airman Ryan Quijas | Members of the 609th Air Operations Center Weather Specialty Team pose for a photo...... read more read more
Subscribe
U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY- The smallest of winds can be a catalyst for the largest of storms.
The Weather Specialty Team’s job? Always be one step ahead of the storm.
The select group of enlisted weather forecasters and commissioned weather officers are charged with the no-fail mission of weather prediction for the entire U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.
“Our mission at the 609th Air Operations Center is to inform senior leaders and all 609 AOC Divisions of projected environmental conditions,” said a 609 AOC officer in charge of current weather operations. “This drives Air Tasking Order accomplishment and achieves the Combined Forces Air Component Commander’s goals.”
Weather can impact all aspects of a mission; natural elements like wind, thunderstorms and icing can affect taxi, takeoff, personnel and equipment being moved, and even munitions being employed. The team utilizes information that constantly flows from satellites and monitoring stations to paint a picture of weather systems in the region.
However, the team at the 609 AOC isn’t alone. They can lean on teammates from around the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to provide meaningful data for operations.
“There is a weather unit at every airfield within the AOR,” said the officer. “They provide us with takeoff and landing weather data for their location, and there are several other entities who provide weather forecasts for specific aircraft and missions. These folks are responsible for the tactical and execution level forecasts.”
Adapting and overcoming obstacles in the region is nothing new for the WST. The lack of reliable weather sensors and real-time data doesn’t stop them from providing accurate forecasts for missions within a 24–48-hour window. This is where the WST has found they are most impactful with their integration into mission planning.
“There have been several occasions where I have been able to influence the timings on aircraft launches by simply saying, ‘thunderstorms will dissipate by x time’ or ‘aircraft icing in this area is going to move by x time,” said the officer. “In the weather career field, there is sometimes a struggle regarding what impact we are going to have, so sitting in meetings and providing information that can alter and improve mission planning is meaningful to me.”
| Date Taken: | 12.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2024 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 487756 |
| Location: | (UNDISCLOSED LOCATION) |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Always One Step Ahead: 609 AOC Weather Specialty Team Supports Critical Air Operations, by SrA Ryan Quijas, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
