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Combat Weather Team keeps tabs on Mother Nature

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Clark Staehle
  • 379th Air Expeditionary Wing
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  The 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron Combat Weather Flight helps forecast weather for the Desert Eagle Team and transient units passing through. 

"The CWF's meteorologist and weather technicians operate 24/7 a week to ensure continuous weather support to U.S. Central Command combat ops," said Master Sgt. Ronald Meadows, 379th EOSS. "Our personnel are experts in the weather impacts and limitations of all supported U.S. and coalition aircraft." 

The weather team here works hand in hand with the 28th Operational Weather Squadron at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., which provides the team with weather an information needed to make decisions. 

The 28th Operational Weather Squadron at Shaw AFB is the Joint Meteorology and Oceanographic Forecast Unit for the U.S. CENTCOM areas of responsibility. 

"We constantly communicate with them through secure chat to coordinate weather forecasts, watches, warnings and advisories for (the base here)," Sergeant Meadows said. "We also utilize the 28th OWS joint operations area forecasts to enhance our combat support in the AORs." 

The unit also warns the base population about bad weather, like thunderstorms, and high winds, which might bring dust storms. 

Shamals can blow dust and sand across the Persian Gulf from as far away as Iraq.
When such sand storms occur, they can often effect visibility and reduce maintenance and flight operations which can make it more difficult to accomplish the mission, said Senior Master Sgt. Vernon Lebby, who also works with the 379th EOSS combat weather team. Sergeant Lebby is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is deployed here from Grand Forks, Air Force Base, N.D. 

The combat weather flight's invaluable service helps keep servicemembers and assets safe from Mother Nature's wrath.