Lt Col Ron Dunic

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Air Force Weather (AFW) Education and Training
Lt Col Ron Dunic AF/XOWR 25 Jul 00
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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 1990s
  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 weathers 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
Air Space Basic Crs
Ops Met
Instr Met
Command Meteorologist
Init Skills Crs
AFIT Terrestrial/Space WX
Wx Flt Crs
O-1
O-3
O-4
O-2
OPS Wx SQ, Strat Ctr, Staff Met, or Wx Flt/CC
Staff Off
Wx Flt, AFIT, Staff Met, Strat Ctr
OPS Wx SQ
Entry Rqmt of B.S. in Met
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Enlisted TrainingOverall 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 TrainingUpgrade 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, trainers
  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
Apprentice
Journeyman
Craftsman
Jrnymn UGT OJT / CDC
7-level Training / Space Wx CDC / Resident Crs
(2 wks)
Initial Skills
Wx Flt Course
E-2
E-4
E-6
E-1
E-3
E-5

Wx Flt / Det
OPS Wx SQ
Hub, Flt / Det, Strat Center
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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
  Universitys 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