Mission
Air Weather Service provides technical advice and assistance to all agencies
supported by the Air Force weather support system and for the standardization
and interoperability of the total Air Force weather support system. It also assesses
the quality and technical goodness of weather support and fields standard weather
systems for the Air Force, Army anspecial forces.
Personnel and Resources
Air Weather Service has more than 1,100 military and civilian personnel serving
at 11 locations throughout the United States.
Organization
Air Weather Service is a field operating agency that reports to the Air Force
Directorate of Weather, Office of the Deputy Chief of Staff for Plans and Operations
at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Washington, D.C. It has three directorates at
the headquarters and an equal number of satellite units that provide current and
long-range plans and day-to-day requirements. Within the headquarters, the Technology,
Plans and Programs directorate develops the initial requirements and operational
concepts into a working solution for all Air Force weather units. The Systems
and Communications directorate manage functions related to AWS' responsibility
as the Air Force's lead command for weather systems. These two directorates work
hand-in-hand to define requirements, develop concepts and then acquiring standard
weather systems for the Air Force. The Resource Management directorate directs
special staff support activities. Public affairs, financial management and comptroller,
inquiries and investigation, history office, information management, personnel,
manpower and organization, and process improvement all fall in their functional
area.
Air Force Global Weather Central, located at Offutt AFB, Neb.,
maintains the world's most comprehensive weather database. AFGWC applies it in
real-time to satisfy worldwide requirements of Army and Air Force combat forces,
the National Command Authorities, Department of Defense and multi-billion-dollar
sensitive national programs controlled by the Secretary of the Air Force.
AFGWC
employs unique man-machine interfaces to combine conventional weather and meteorological
satellite data with numerical model output to produce products tailored to meet
the special needs of military operations. Detachment 7, AFGWC, at Tinker AFB,
Okla., collects, processes and distributes real-time weather data to combat and
combat support organizations of the U.S. Air Force and other DOD and federal agencies.
Air Force Combat Climatology Center , also at Scott AFB, Ill., collects,
saves and applies weather data to generate environmental products in support of
worldwide operations of the Air Force, Army, other DOD and U.S. government interests.
A combination of advanced computer programs and the world's largest computerized
climatic database, located at an operating location in Asheville, N.C. , enables
AFCCC to prepare studies and analyses to support weapon systems design, mission
planning and combat operations worldwide.
Combat Weather Facility, at
Hurlburt Field, Fla., is the Air Force focal point for battlefield weather technology
and serves as the primary center for training weather personnel on tactical weather
and communications equipment. Other CWF objectives include exploiting new technology,
and developing new procedures to forecast weather; and testing new tactical meteorological
and communications equipment and concepts. The CWF also has an operating location
at Fort Blanding, Fla.
Vision Statement
Total force professionals
arming America's combat forces with the winning edge - the world's best military
weather capability.
History
On July 1, 1937, the War
Department transferred responsibility for weather support of the Army's air arm
from the Army Signal Corps to the Army Air Corps. Twenty-two officers and 180
enlisted men were transferred from the Signal Corps to the Army Air Corps. Seven
years later, at the peak of World War II, Air Weather Service had about 19,000
military personnel working at more than 900 locations throughout the world.
On March 13, 1946, the Army Air Forces Weather Service was redesignated as
the Air Weather Service and reassigned to the Air Transport Command, forerunner
of the Military Airlift Command. On April 1, 1991, AWS was restructured as a field
operating agency, ending its 45-year status as a subordinate organization of the
former Military Airlift Command and reporting directly to Headquarters U.S. Air
Force.
Point Of Contact
Air Weather Service
Public Affairs
Office, 102 W. Losey St., Room 105; Scott AFB, IL
DSN 576-3350, ext. 334, or
(618) 256-3350, ext. 334
September, 1995
