US Air Force 10th COMBAT WEATHER SQUADRON (10 CWS)

---

HISTORY
The 10 Weather Squadron was initially activated at Derrick Field, Maryland, on the 24th of June of 1942. It was assigned to the 10th Air Force in New Delhi, India in January 1943. The unit operated with Col. Philip Cocharn's 1st Air Commando Group throughout the China-Burma-India (CBI) theater supporting both Brig. General Orde Wingate's Long Range Penetration Group, the Chindits, and Brig. Gen. Frank Merrill's "Marauders".

The squadron made use of small weather teams that were inserted deep into enemy territory to provide weather observations. In August of 1944 Gen. Curtis Lemay authorized the unit to begin training Chinese guerillas in basic weather observation skills. By VJ Day the 10 WS was the largest weather squadron in USAF history, with over 2000 personnel on its roster.

On the 16th of June 1966 the 10 WS was reactivated at Udorn Airfield, Thailand and tasked with conducting combat operations in Southeast Asia. The squadron was also tasked with providing support to US special operations units operating in the same theater. They accomplished this by establishing clandestine weather observations stations, and providing weather observation training to indigenous personnel. 10 WS special operations weather teams also provided critical weather support to US special operations forces involved in Operation Ivory Coast, the raid on the Son Tay POW camp. On June 30th 1972 the squadron relocated to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base (RTAFB), and continued to conduct operations until its inactivation on September 30 1975.

On October 1 1996 the squadron was reactivated as the 10th Combat Weather Squadron (10 CWS) and assigned to the 720th Special Tactics Group (720 STG) of the Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC).

MISSION STATEMENT
A. The 10th Combat Weather Squadron (10 CWS) organizes, trains, and equips combat weather and supporting personnel for worldwide employment with the forces of the United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), to provide meteorological and oceanographic information in and for the special operations theater of operations. Functions include tactical infiltration, data collection, analysis and forecasting, mission tailoring of environmental information, and operating in concert with host nation weather personnel.

B. With the global Special Operations mission, personnel are capable of observing and forecasting using tactical meteorological (TACMET) equipment and a variety of communication systems ranging from high frequency (HF) radios to satellite communications (SATCOM).

C. The squadron is comprised of five detachments and one Operating Location (OL) that are co-located with their customer(s). A Statement of Requirements (SOR) defines what support is required by USASOC.

D. Customers supported include Special Forces Groups (SFG), Ranger Regiments (RGR), Special Operations Aviation Regiments (SOAR), Psychological Operations Groups (POG), Special Warfare Training Groups (SWTG), Civil Affairs (CA) units, and Special Operations Support Battalions. .

SPECIFIC EMPLOYMENT
A. Detachment personnel deploy with their customer(s) to virtually all countries in the world. They are continuously in the highest state of readiness and often deploy at a moments notice, well ahead of the advance command and control elements. Consequently, individuals must be highly trained and well equipped to meet the challenges demanded by ambitious, but realistic, joint exercise schedules as well as wartime deployments, real-world contingencies, Low Intensity Conflicts (LIC) and Military Operations Other Than War (MOOTW).

B. The 10th CWS develops and implements doctrine, policies, and standards. Monitoring each detachment's performance, addressing current and future weather support requirements, acquiring and providing training that ensures inter operability of equipment and integration of forces, and acting as the focal point of budget and personnel issues also ensures the squadron maintains a high state of readiness in each of its detachments.

C. In-garrison weather support consists of weather forecasts for local training, upcoming deployments, and resource protection. Each detachment targets it's in-garrison training to the supporting customer's Area Of Responsibility (AOR) to maintain cultural awareness, AOR weather familiarity, and determine the host nation's meteorological capabilities.

D. Support for all deployments starts with acquiring climatological products, solar/lunar data, and forecasts required for pre-deployment, mission planning, and execution documents. Unit personnel provide tailored briefings for deployments. Briefings incorporate operational elements of all meteorological and oceanographic products and forecasts. Operational elements at forward locations are provided weather information for the mission's duration, to include, forecasts for the target, infiltration and exfiltration, hide site areas. Participation in post-debriefs is mandatory to acquire feedback and identify any weather sensitive areas in the area of operation for future study.

E. Additional requirements exist when supporting deployed aviation units which include weather observations and Meteorological Watch (METWATCH) support for the forward deployed location and Forward Arming And Refueling Points. (FAARPs).

F. The detachments maintain the capability to function independently as a tactical forecast unit for the supported unit for any area of operations and provide the following:

1. 24-hour forecasting support to all unit operations and missions.
2. Weather data collection over the area of operations.
3. Customized weather support products generated at higher levels.

G. Collecting weather data from forward areas is vital to forecast accuracy and mission success. The deployed unit commander determines the specific method of data collection used according to the type of operations being conducted. Detachments use one of several methods to collect data.

(1) Personnel are capable of special reconnaissance by accompany selected units as required. This capability provides unit commanders with current, detailed weather data from an "eyes in target" perspective and/or at a location en route to an objective that has been identified as weather sensitive.

(2) Organizing, establishing, and maintaining weather data reporting networks provides forecasters with weather data from "data denied" areas. Unit personnel are strategically deployed in the theater of operations as a network to provide detailed and accurate weather observations, limited forecasts, and upper air soundings. The importance of this capability is readily apparent; most third world nations have little or no indigenous weather services, and hostile countries cease transmission of weather data when conflicts arise.

(3) Detachment personnel teach Army SOF units how to take limited weather observations. A simple format is used to encode the limited weather observations. Army SOF units pass the encoded observations to forecasters located at Forward Operating Bases (FOB). Army personnel can then be used to enhance weather data reporting networks area covered or they can be used alone.

(4) Remote environmental sensing is in its infancy. Small weather sensor packages are being developed that have a stand alone capability. When strategically placed in forward areas, and these sensors will send back limited weather observations to forecasters at programmed times.

H. Upper air soundings, including Mean Effective Wind (MEW) and Pilot Balloon (PIBAL) observations, support personnel and equipment parachute operations. Specific detachments have the capability to launch instrument packages (SONDEs) attached to a balloon to sample the atmosphere up to and above 40,000 ft. SONDEs relay crucial atmospheric data that is incorporated into mission forecasts. The data also relayed back to national weather assets for use in other products.

I. Electro-Optics Tactical Decision Aid (EOTDA) support is a mission specific service provided to the customer. The EOTDA program gives the customer a forecast of how to optimize the use of weapons platforms and tactical equipment for a specific mission based on environmental conditions and intelligence inputs. EOTDA forecasts are briefed in conjunction with other weather products required for mission planning and execution.

DEPLOYMENT CONSIDERATIONS
A. Squadron personnel can be deployed individually during war-time to fill any of the detachment positions as required. The squadron is best utilized as a command and control unit that coordinates the theater weather support transition between first-in SOF units and the arrival of conventional/follow-on forces.

B. Each customer supported is unique and the team size is tailored to the specific requirements of the mission. When detachment personnel deploy as small teams, they are sometimes called Special Operations Weather Teams (SOWTs) or Combat Weather Teams (CWTs).

C. In order to provide the highest level of support, units require reliable dial-up access capabilities to transmit and receive weather data and products from field units as well as national weather assets.

D. Detachment personnel are equipped to operate at FOBs for thirty days without resupply. Personnel deploying forward of the FOB maintain the same resupply requirements as the unit they are attached to.

SPECIFIC MISSION TASKS

1. Provide climatological/oceanographic data, sun/lunar data, and weather forecasts/observations to support pre-deployment, deployment, mission planning, execution, and redeployment.
2. Function independently as a tactical forecast unit for the supported unit.
3. Provide Electro-Optical support.
4. Provide Special Reconnaissance (SR) as required by supported unit.
5. Train Army SOF units to take and communicate limited weather observations.
6. Collect upper air data.
7. Organize, establish, and maintain weather data reporting networks.
8. Determine host nation meteorological capabilities.
9. Perform infiltration/exfiltration methods to include static line and military free-fall parachute, small boat or amphibious means, overland - mounted or dismounted, airland via fixed or rotary-wing aircraft, airmobile procedures to include rappel, fast-rope, rope ladder and STABO.

ORGANIZATION
The 10th CWS is composed of five detachments and one Operating Location (OL) that are co-located with their customer(s).

HQ 10th Combat Weather Squadron Hulbert Field, FL

Det 1, 10th CWS. Ft. Lewis, WA (supports the 1st SFG(A)).

Det 3, 10th CWS. Ft. Campbell, KY (supports the 5th SFG(A) and 160th SOAR).

Det 2, 10th CWS Ft. Carson, CO (supports the 10th SFG(A)).

Det 4, 10th CWS FT. Benning, GA (supports the 75th Ranger Regiment).

Det 5, 10th CWS Ft Bragg, NC (supports USASOC, USASFC, and both 3rd and 7th SFG(A))

OL-A, 10CWS Hunter AAF, GA (supports 1st Ranger Battalion)