AFWA is a leader in military meteorology. It fields high quality weather equipment and training to Air Force operational weather squadrons and weather flights at locations around the world. AFWA builds a comprehensive weather database of forecast, climatological, and space weather products. These products and services are exploited by the U.S. Department of Defense field commanders and decision makers for many military operations, contingency missions, and humanitarian relief efforts conducted by the United States.
Mission
The Air Force Weather Agency's mission statement is as follows:
"The mission of Air Force Weather Agency is to maximize America's Air, Space, Cyberspace, and Land Power by enabling decision makers to exploit relevant environmental information across the full spectrum of warfare. AFWA is a Field Operating Agency, reporting to United States Air Force Director of Weather, Deputy Chief of Staff Air and Space Operations (USAF/A3O-W)."
Personnel and resources
AFWA manning consists of more than 1,100 active-duty, reserve, civilian and contract personnel and is headquartered on Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. AFWA executes a $175 million annual budget.
AFWA is organized into a headquarters element, consisting of staff agencies, two groups, three directorates, a subordinate center, and five solar observatories.
The 1st Weather Group (1 WXG), with headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., aligns stateside weather operations with the Air Force warfighting initiative overseeing Operational Weather Squadrons. Each of the squadrons produces forecasts for a specified area of the United States. The 15th OWS, located at Scott Air Force Base Ill, is responsible for the Northern and Northeast United States; 25th OWS, located at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., is responsible for the Western United States; and 26th OWS, located at Barksdale Air Force Base, La, is responsible for the Southern United States. The squadrons also serve as training hubs for new weather professionals - both enlisted and officers. The 1st WXG arms our weather professionals with the training and skills necessary to deliver environmental intelligence for commanders and military decision makers.
The 2nd Weather Group (2 WXG), with headquarters at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., delivers timely, relevant and specialized terrestrial, space and climatological global environmental intelligence to Joint warfighters, DoD decision-makers, national agencies, and allied nations for the planning and execution of missions across the complete spectrum of military operations through the operation, sustainment and maintenance of Air Force Weather's $277M strategic center computer complex, production network, and applications. The 2nd WXG is composed of Offutt AFB's 2nd Weather Squadron, 2nd Systems Operations Squadron and 14th Weather Squadron in Asheville, N.C. It also includes four solar observatories which fall under the 2nd WS: Det. 1, Learmonth, Australia; Det. 2, Sagamore Hill, Mass.; Det. 4, Holloman AFB, N.M.; and Det. 5, Palehua, Hawaii.
The Air and Space Operations, Plans and Requirements Directorate (A3/5) assists Air Staff in managing AFW career field training requirements process, and obtains and implements training to meet those requirements. The directorate helps exploit weather information for warfighting operations and coordinates AFW policy issues and oversees and executes the AFW Standardization and Evaluation Program for Weather Operations (SEPWO). A3/5 also develops and maintains concepts of operations (CONOPS) for how AFW supports the most weather sensitive joint capabilities areas, works with Air Staff to integrate AFW CONOPS with AF plans and programs, and is lead command agent for gathering operational requirements, in conjunction with MAJCOM functional counterparts and users of AFW products, data, and services.
The Communications Directorate (A6) provides policy and planning oversight of command, control, and communications for the Air Force Weather Agency, supporting contingency actions, daily operations and general C4 support.
The Strategic Plans and Programs Directorate (A8) directs the planning, programming, budgeting, development, acquisition, engineering, configuration management, modification, installation, integration, logistics, and life cycle support of all standard weather systems and computer processing equipment.
Subordinate unit
Air Force Combat Weather Center (AFCWC), located at Hurlburt Field, Florida, develops, evaluates, exploits, and implements new tactics, techniques, procedures, and technologies across Air Force Weather to enhance the effectiveness of Air Force, Army, Special Forces, joint, and combined operations.
The agency co-sponsors COMET, the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training, with the civilian National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
New AFWA buildingThe new Air Force Weather Agency Building, valued at $26.7 million, with a total of 188,000 sq ft (17,500 m2). The three-story building, designed to support 1,100 people, and is scheduled to become fully operational by 2011 as the AFWA staff relocates in increments. The new facility is a gold certified Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design structure by the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED rating is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. Being a LEED-certified building means the facility has been designed to and reached a recognized level of implementation and continuous monitoring of their "green" programs such as energy efficiency, recycling and the use of environmentally friendly products. The new AFWA building is an example of the emphasis the Air Force is placing on responsible use of and preservation of the environment. By becoming LEED certified, the AFWA facility will do its part to accomplish the vision of the Air Force Environmental Strategic Plan - fully supporting Air Force missions with natural infrastructure assets while protecting human health and safety and the environment. Initiatives and concepts incorporated into the AFWA headquarters building are part of the reason the Air Force was recently named number one among the nation's top 10 federal government green power partners.
No comments:
Post a Comment