20th Operational Weather Squadron The 20th Operational Weather Squadron which provided detailed forecasts for the Air Force and Army in Japan and South Korea , is now inactive following the transfer of its mission to Hickam Field , Hawaii on April 17 , 2006 . Mission . Until its inactivation in April 2006 , the 20th Operational Weather Squadron was responsible for producing and disseminating mission planning and execution weather analyses , forecasts , and briefings for Air Force , Army , Navy , Marines , Guard , Reserve , USFK , PACOM , PACAF , USAPRAC , SOCPAC , and NAVPAC forces operating at 115 installations / sites over 5 . 2 million sq . mi . within the Pacific theater of operations . This weather squadron was responsible for base or post forecasting , developing weather products , briefing transient aircrews , and weather warnings for all of their geographical units . Using automatic observing systems located at all military installations and communicating with their combat weather flights , the squadron was able to ' watch ' the weather in their entire area of responsibility from one central location . The Operational Weather Squadron was the first place a newly schooled weather apprentice would report . At the squadron , working alongside a seasoned weather professional , the forecaster was trained in all aspects of Air Force meteorology , from pilot briefing to tactical forecasting . The weather squadron worked closely with the combat weather flights they support to ensure a flawless exchange of weather information . Personnel and resources . 20th Operational Weather Squadron ’ s manning consisted of active duty , reserve , civilian and contract personnel and was located on Yokota Air Base , Japan , Under the Fifth Air Force , Yokota Air Base , Japan . Lineage . Activations and Inactivations of the 20th Weather Squadron , and 20th Operational Weather Squadron . Constituted 20th Weather Squadron and activated on 15 Apr 1943 Disbanded on 31 Oct 1943 Reconstituted on 4 Nov 1944 Activated on 6 Dec 1944 Inactivated on 18 Feb 1957 Activated on 2 Mar 1964 Organized on 8 Jun 1964 Inactivated on 1 Sep 1976 Activated on 1 Jan 1985 Inactivated on 1 Jun 1992 Redesignated 20th Operational Weather Squadron on 13 Jul 2000 Activated on 1 Oct 2000 Inactivated on April 17 , 2006 Duty Assignments . List of duty assignments and parent units from 1943 to present . Cairo , Egypt , 9th Air Force , 15 April 1943 – 31 October 1943 Sorido Airdrome , Biak Island , Netherlands East Indies , Far East Air Forces Regional Control and Weather Group ( provisional ) , 6 December 1944 – 9 May 1945 Fort William McKinley , Manila , Luzon , P . I . , Far East Air Forces Regional Control and Weather Group , 9 May 1945 – 14 August 1945 Nichols Field , Luzon , P . I . , Far East Air Forces Regional Control and Weather Group 14 August 1945 – 20 September 1945 Nichols Field , Luzon , P . I . , 1st Weather Group later , 2100st Air weather Group , 20 September 1945 – 2 November 1945 Tokyo , Japan , 1st Weather Group ( later , 2100st Air weather Group ) , 2 November 1945 – 22 May 1946 Yamato Building , Nagoya , 1st Weather Group ( later , 2100st Air weather Group , 22 May 1946 – 23 October 1949 Yamato Building , Nagoya , 2143rd Air Weather Wing , 23 October 1949 – 8 February 1954 Yamato Building , Nagoya , 1st Weather Wing 8 February 1954 – c . August 1954 Sumitomo Building , Nagoya , 1st Weather Wing , c . August 1954 – c . April 1956 Nagoya Air Station ( later Moriyama Air Station ) , Japan , 1st Weather Wing c . April 1956 – 18 February 1957 Fuchu Air Station , Japan , 1st Weather Wing , 8 June 1964 – 6 October 1974 Yokota Air Base , Japan , 1st Weather Wing , 6 October 1974 – 1 September 1976 Yokota Air Base , Japan , 1st Weather Wing , 1 January 1985 – 30 September 1991 Yokota Air Base , Japan , Pacific Air Forces , 30 September 1991 – 1 April 1992 Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii , Pacific Air Forces , 1 April 1992 – 15 April 1992 Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii , 15th Operations Group , 15 April 1992 – 1 June 1992 Yokota Air Base , Japan , Fifth Air Force , 1 October 2000 – 17 April 2006 Emblem . Approved on 9 Oct 1986 Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors . Blue alludes to the sky , the primary theater of operations . Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel . The weather satellite symbolizes the mission of the unit to provide support in the atmospheric sciences . The black and light blue background depicts night and day capability . The globe is from the emblem of the parent major command and further depicts global responsibilities . The two stars indicate the services , US Air Force and U . S . Army , that the unit supports by providing meteorological information . History . The 20th Weather Squadron activated at Cairo , Egypt , on April 15 , 1943 , and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force , but was soon thereafter disbanded on October 31 , 1943 . The Army Air Forces again activated the 20th on December 6 , 1944 , on Biak Island in what was then known as the Netherlands East Indies , today ’ s Indonesia . The 20th absorbed the resources and mission of the 5231st Weather Squadron ( Provisional ) . The 20th was assigned to the Far East Air Forces Weather Group ( Provisional ) at that time . In May 1945 the squadron moved its headquarters by from Biak Island to Fort William McKinley near Manila , Philippines . By the close of July 1945 , the squadron had grown to more than 700 men and the headquarters was overseeing the work of 34 weather stations , many of which were in isolated locations . The Army Air Forces Weather Service assumed control of all weather organizations on July 1 , 1945 , and organized the 20th under the 1st Weather Group on September 20 , 1945 . Due to congested quarters at Fort William McKinley , the 20th ’ s headquarters moved again in August 1945 to nearby Nichols Field . While headquartered in the Philippines , the 20th lost two men to combat action . Following the capitulation of Japan , the 20th began its long association with Japan . The squadron moved its headquarters to Tokyo on November 2 , 1945 , and accompanied Headquarters , Fifth Air Force to Nagoya on May 22 , 1946 . War demobilization caused the 20th to lose personnel rapidly . To accomplish its growing mission , the 20th hired local nationals , employed non - weather officers to oversee some weather stations , and began on the - job schools to cross - train enlisted men into weather career fields . By late - 1946 , the 20th was operating weather stations in Japan , China , and Korea . The 20th relinquished control of the China stations in 1947 and the last Korean station was closed in 1949 . The squadron came under the leadership of the 2143d Air Weather Wing in 1949 . Within three days of North Korean troops crossing into South Korea in June 1950 , a detachment of the 20th Weather Squadron was airlifted to Daegu , Korea . The leadership of the 20th Weather Squadron was soon burdened by the growth of detachments both in Korea and Japan to support the war effort . By early November 1950 , the 20th was overseeing 27 detachments , eight of which were in Korea , where , on average , one of these detachments relocated every five days . The Air Force activated the 30th Weather Squadron to oversee Korean operations , but the 20th remained deeply involved in the war effort . The 20th was assigned to the newly activated 1st Weather Wing in 1954 . The squadron was inactivated on February 18 , 1957 , but emerged anew at Fuchu Air Station , Japan , on June 8 , 1964 , where it remained until1974 when it relocated to Yokota Air Base . Again , it was inactivated in 1976 as part of an Air Weather Service reorganization only to return at Yokota on January 1 , 1985 . As part of the divestiture of Air Weather Service , the 20th was assigned to Pacific Air Force s in 1991 . It relocated to Hickam Air Force Base , Hawaii , on April 1 , 1992 , and was inactivated on June 1 . With the reengineering of the Air Force Weather Agency the 20th was redesignated an Operational Weather Squadron on July 13 , 2000 , and activated on October 1 . It was assigned to Fifth Air Force and stationed again at Yokota Air Base , Japan . Recent history . The 20th Operational Weather Squadron became inactive on April 17 , 2006 when its mission was transferred to the 17th Operational Weather Squadron at Hickam Field , Hawaii . Awards . Service Streamers . World War II European - African - Middle Eastern Theater ; Korean Service Campaign Streamers . World War II Asiatic - Pacific Theater , New Guinea 1943 - 1944 Decorations . Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for periods : Mar 1956 - Oct 1956 ; 2 Jul 1967 - 30 Jun 1969 ; 1 Jul 1970 - 30 Jun 1972 ; 1 Jul 1972 - 30 Jun 1973 ; 1 Jul 1974 - 30 Jun 1976 ; 1 Jul 1986 - 30 Jun 1988 .