Every hour, Samy Sabogal Sanchez steps outside his office beside the Dyess runway and turns his eyes to the skies. At the same time, military weather observers around the world are documenting their own data and posting it on the Internet. This weather data could be vital to a pilot plotting a flight course and, in a combat zone, vital to dropping bombs and carrying out missions. More than 3,000 airmen across the Air Force observe and forecast the weather.
Military missions are often dependent on favorable weather conditions.
Jim Rickman, commander of Dyess' weather team. Even snow, though I've only seen a couple of flakes since I've been here. Rickman, a 10-year Air Force weather veteran, has monitored the skies around Dyess since he transferred to the base in December. The primary mission of Rickman's 15-member weather team is to observe and forecast the weather around the base and to protect aircraft, personnel and equipment from the elements. Triple-digit temperatures can affect aircraft maintenance crews working outside, and high winds can delay aircraft landings or force planes to divert to different bases.