# Presentation: 900932

## Air Force Weather (AFW)

**AF/XOWR**
**25 Jul 00**

**Air Force Weather (AFW)**
**Education and Training**

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## Overview

**Background**
**Weather Officer Training**
**Enlisted Training**
**Weather Training for Aircrews and Customers**

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## Background

**AFW relies heavily on enlisted personnel, guided by weather officers, to provide operational support**
**Prior to reengineering, AFW qualification and upgrade training conducted at local unit level**
**Units typically consisted of approximately 20 personnel**
**Young airmen trained first as observers then returned to forecaster school at approximately the 4-year point**
**New weather officers trained on the forecast counter before serving as Wing Weather Officers, etc.**
**Downsizing, the divestiture of Air Weather Service, and manning shortages in the 1990’s impacted training**

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## Background

**AFW developed a reengineering plan to better provide timely, accurate, and relevant Weather support**
**Regionally-focused hubs responsible for analysis and forecasting; also serve as training ground for apprentices**
**Brings together a “critical mass” of experienced forecasters**
**Training done by experienced forecasters in a team environment **
**Apprentices have time to learn the art of forecasting**
**Revised enlisted career track, improved training key to plan**
**Airmen learn forecasting skills first**
**1st assignment is to a hub as a forecaster apprentice**
**Return to an advanced school before assignment to a flight/det**
**Experienced personnel assigned to local flights/dets**
**Focus is on weather’s impact to the mission and supporting the decision making process**

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## Weather Officer Training

**New weather officers enter AFW after earning met degree or completing the Basic Met Program**
**Attend an Officer Initial Skills Course (ISC) at Keesler AFB before their first assignment**
**Provide practical skills and knowledge to complement his/her academic work in weather concepts and theory**
**61% of weather officers hold an Advanced Academic Degree (AAD) in weather or science; **
**Selected officers earn an AAD at civilian universities/colleges**
**Work to exploit new technology/techniques in production units**
**Integrate space weather analysis and forecasting into operations**
**Serve as Staff Mets supporting the acquisition process**
**Provide technical oversight and assistance to field units**

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## OFFICER CAREERS

**OFFICER CAREERS**

**Init Skills Crs**

**O-1**

**O-3**

**O-4**

**O-2**

**OPS Wx SQ**

**OPS Wx SQ, Strat Ctr, Staff Met, or Wx Flt/CC**

**Wx Flt**
**Crs**

**Command Meteorologist**

** ****Staff Off**

**Wx Flt, AFIT, Staff Met, Strat Ctr**

**Ops Met**

**Instr Met**

**Air & Space Basic Crs**

**AFIT **
**Terrestrial/Space WX**

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## Enlisted TrainingOverall Approach/Initial Skills

**AFW trains using an integrated building block approach of schoolhouse, formal OJT, and correspondence courses**
**Airmen entering AFW attend a 19-week ISC at Keesler AFB**
**ISC teaches most topics to the “principles” level for subject knowledge, “partially proficient” level for task knowledge; topics include:**
**Observing fundamentals to decode and use observations**
**Interpretation of climatological aids**
**Structure and property of the atmosphere**
**Analysis and prognosis skills**
**Forecasting and meteorological watch**
**Basic oceanography**
**Space environment**

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## Enlisted TrainingUpgrade and Qualification in Hubs

**Forecaster apprentices receive 2-3 years of intensive supervised qualification and upgrade training in a hub**
**Training done by a mix of AFW NCOs and contractors**
**Apprentices train on core tasks (e.g., forecasting cloud height) using Qualification Training Packages (QTPs)**
**Each QTP contains a trainee workbook, trainer’s guide, and evaluation package**
**QTPs provide standardized training across the hubs**
**Airmen must complete 15-volume Career Development Course (CDC) prior to upgrade to journeyman**
**Correspondence course administered by Air University**
**Expands knowledge taught in Apprentice Course and through OJT**

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## Enlisted Training

**After upgrade to Weather Journeyman, airmen will attend the advanced Weather Flight Operations Course**
**Course scheduled to begin Oct 01**
**Concentrates on the application of weather in the decision making process and its impact to specific missions**
**Teaches practical observing skills and combat field skills**
**After graduation, airmen assigned to field level units at Air Force Bases and Army Posts providing direct support to the warfighter**

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## ENLISTED CAREERS

**AVG SEW-ON TIME**

**Initial**
**Skills**

**Apprentice**

**Wx Flt**
**Course**

**Jrnymn UGT OJT / CDC**

**Journeyman**

**7-level  Training / Space Wx**
**CDC / Resident Crs (2 wks)**

**Craftsman**

**Hub, Flt / Det, Strat Center**

**Wx Flt / Det**

**OPS Wx SQ**

**E-2**

**E-4**

**E-6**

**E-1**

**E-3**

**E-5**

**ENLISTED CAREERS**

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## Weather Training for Aircrews and Customers

**Pilots receive instruction in weather during Undergraduate Pilot Training**
**Mostly computer-based training with some lecture**
**AFW officer subject matter experts assist in development of curriculum**
**Reengineering integrates forecasters directly into the flight planning process; two-way education between aviators and weather forecasters**
**Local weather units involved in the Instrument Refresher Course Program; brief seasonal weather phenomena, local effects, new capabilities (e.g., NEXRAD), etc.**
**AF/XOW teaches AFW capabilities at Air University’s Operations Group Commanders Course**

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## Summary

**AFW is reengineering to better support operations and train personnel**
**Officers are degreed meteorologists trained to provide military weather support; most hold AADs and work to exploit and insert new technologies and techniques**
**Revamped enlisted career track and training allows airmen to mature into highly capable forecasters**
**AFW actively involved in educating aviators and the operational community on weather and its impacts**

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