Rock Solid Warrior

SOUTHWEST ASIA – Staff Sgt. Cameron Preece, 386th Expeditionary Operation Support Squadron weather forecaster, studies the weather using a tactical meteorological observation system here July 31. The system is a field-deployable, compact weather station for various field operations. Offering broad sensor capability, the portable system can be easily and rapidly deployed. The weather flight provides accurate and timely weather to deployed U.S. Army and Air Force units for planning and mission completion. Preece is the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing’s Rock Solid Warrior. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Alexandra M. Boutte)

Rock Solid Warrior: Staff Sgt. Cameron Preece

Published July 30, 2012
386th Air Expeditionary Wing

SOUTHWEST ASIA --

Rank/First & Last Name: Staff Sgt. Cameron Preece

Deployed Unit: 386th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron

Duty Title: Weather Forecaster

Home unit/station: 377th Maintenance Squadron, Kirtland AFB, N.M.

What is your mission here? Provide accurate and timely weather to deployed Army and Air Force units for planning and mission completion.

What are some of the best parts of your mission? Providing a forecast that drastically affects the mission, whatever it may be.

What are some of the challenges you face while conducting your mission, and how do you overcome them? The greatest challenge in forecasting for this region is lack of information. Most countries around the world have a plenty of weather observation locations giving continuous data. Here there are two in the entire country, outside of this location, there is only one and it is 300 miles away.

How does your job differ in a deployed environment vs. home base? Here I have to rely more on Satellite images and extrapolation to produce a forecast.

How many times have you deployed? First time

What makes this deployment unique? Normally weather is co-located with Airfield Operations; here weather is in C-130 Operations. Being in Fox Ops I get to see the direct effect of the forecast I produce.

Why did you join the Air Force? I was going to join the military, my wife preferred the Air Force over the Army. Now I forecast for both.