News

Weather flight wins AF Outstanding Unit award

  • Published
  • By Holly Birchfield
  • 78th ABW/PA
Robins Air Force Base, Ga. --  Tactical weather equipment must be in good working order for weather experts to keep a close watch on the atmosphere to ensure the safety of flight and ground operations.

It was the mission of 13 members the 51st Combat Communications Squadron's Weather Systems Flight to keep equipment in good working order in Southwest Asia.

The team did an award-winning job at it - garnering the 2007 Outstanding Weather Support Unit of the Year award at Air Force level.

Senior Master Sgt. Cliff Walton, superintendent for the 51st Combat Communications Squadron's Weather Systems Flight, said his unit is one of only two units in the Air Force responsible for repairing tactical weather systems, and the unit has been engaged in a steady stream of deployments across Southwest Asia within the last five years.

"There are approximately 40 to 50 weather capabilities employed across Southwest Asia," he said. "We are the sole maintainers of their tactical weather systems. Without the weather systems there, they're unable to provide safety of flight."

Sergeant Walton said his team plays a crucial role in the deployed location.

"Our job is integral to making sure that not only flights are taken care of, but also ground operations," he said. "A lot of the sites that we visit are Army units that have Air Force weather people there. We maintain the Army-owned systems."

Their mission came with challenges though.

"We deploy with only a four-man team, and that four-man team is responsible for all of Southwest Asia, including Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirate," Sergeant Walton said.

Staff Sgt. Paul Morrow, a weather systems technician in the 51st CBCS, said the challenges gave him an appreciation for his mission.

"It makes you feel the importance of your job," he said. "It makes you take pride in your work to make sure everyone else is safe and it makes you pay more attention to details to make sure the equipment is going to stay running after you leave."

Sergeant Morrow said the team provided training to those in the deployed locations so they could do simple equipment fixes without outside help after the team departed.

Senior Airman Andrew Denittis, also a weather systems technician in the 51st CBCS and team member, said while getting an award was nice, he was simply glad to help people out.

"It was an honor to serve those guys out there," he said. "We had a lot of work and put a lot of flight time in," he said. "I did a lot of travel to forward operating bases. It's just good to see that the long hours gave something back."

Sergeant Walton said that the team was recognized with its current award at the Air Combat Command level a couple of years ago. It's the first time, however, for the team to win at Air Force-level.

The team will receive their award at Langley Air Force Base, Va. in June.