12th Operational Weather Flight provides force continuity to the 15th Operational Weather Squadron at Scott Air Force Base

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Meiko Schill
  • 932nd Airlift Wing
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Il. --  
The 15th Operational Weather Squadron has the unique responsibility of monitoring all weather observations, forecasting and aircrew briefings for the upper Midwest and eastern portions of the United States, as well as providing presidential support for the east coast air defense system. To accomplish this mission, the squadron leans heavily on the support of the 12th Operational Weather Flight of the Air Force Reserve Command here at Scott Air Force Base.

The 15th OWS works around the clock, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year to provide up-to-date weather information to 149 federal sites in their area of responsibility and requires a robust team of trained Airmen.

The 9-month initial technical training for operational weather is conducted within a joint force environment, where service members learn about radar, satellite imagery analysis, observations, fundamentals of forecasting, and how to brief leadership about risk management regarding weather and resource concerns.  Once forecasters graduate from technical school and arrive at an OWS as their first duty station, they receive additional training with operations simulators to advance their skills. This training gives them the opportunity to work in different positions on the floor of the OWS and allows the shop to run smoothly.

"It's very challenging," said Maj. Chris Higgins with the 12th OWF. He is amazed at the high order tasks and responsibility placed on newly trained Airmen, who are at times recent high school graduates.

Members of the 12th OWF work side-by-side with their active duty counterparts making sure there are enough trained and capable Airmen available for the operational floor requirements. The 15th OWS operational floor requires at least 25 Airmen during any given shift to perform the tasks required, and at times some of their squadron members are away on deployment or fulfilling additional training or administration requirements, which makes the 12th OWF instrumental to them accomplishing their duties.

Maj. Jeremy Alexander of the 15th OWS says that the 12th OWF is here to integrate into the mission. "The 12th brings us real world surge capability during operations in support of NORTHCOM requirements such as Defense Support to Civil Authorities," said Major Alexander.

Recently during the May unit training assembly, members of the 12th OWF assumed responsibility for nearly half of the operational floor alongside the 15th OWS, as an exercise in Total Force Integration. The purpose was to show that when needed, the Reserve unit could man and operate as a fully functioning weather operational support team.

When the 15th OWS requires augmentation, Air Force Reserve members like Staff Sgt. Jesse Boardman provide additional experience, continuity, and leadership to the operations floor. Boardman recently worked full-time as a Senior Duty Officer and in other capacities using Military Personnel Appropriation man-days and has been with the 12th OWF for three years.
"To have our unit be able to step-up as a group and perform like this in such large numbers is great because it shows what we can bring to the fight," Boardman said.