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Home , Twelfth Air Force

Winter 2004

Volume 2, Issue 1 Air Force Weather Historian A QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER OF THE AIR FORCE WEATHER HISTORY OFFICE

The Origins of Air Force Weather’s Army Support It’s often reported that Air “all military operations— President Harry S Truman Force Weather’s support ground, air and sea.” signed the National of Army operations is Although initially Security Act on July 26, derived from public law concerned with the 1947, creating the United and the 1947 National enormity of the task, the States Air Force as a Security Act. The origins Director of Weather separate service; but of this inter-service formulated a strategic plan nowhere within the Act did arrangement originated for providing weather it specify that the Air within the Army in World service to all of the Army. Force would continue to War II and continued with Only after considerable provide weather service to inter-service agreements marketing of the plan and the Army, only that the Mr. Al Moyers in 1947 and since. assurance that the Air “activities” of the Army Air Air Force Weather Historian Congress has never Force was capable of Forces would continue legislated this service. providing the stated under the service, the ground forces Air Force. The question of Air Force Mr. Jerry White commanders in early 1943 Weather support to the If there is a single Deputy Air Force Weather accepted the Army Air Historian entire Army remained document that details that Forces Weather Service essentially unanswered the Air Force would as the provider of the from the transfer of the continue weather support Army’s weather service. Army’s weather service to for the Army it is the the Air Corps on July 1, However, agreement “Agreements as to the Inside This Issue 1937, until the could not be reached on Initial Implementation of reorganization of the Army the formulation of the the National Security Act Air Forces in 1942. The Army’s regulation on of 1947,” dated 25 OWS Heritage 2 Adjutant General’s 1937 weather services, AR 95- September 15, 1947. In transfer order simply 150. Although revised in paragraph 15 of Section Golding Interview 3 stated that the “Chief of 1943, the directive made IV of this document, titled the Air Corps will be no statements about Air “Weather Service,” the Met Histories 3 charged with responsibility Force support to ground two services agreed that Looking Back 4 for the meteorological forces. It was not until the the “USAF will be service for that arm and waning days of World War responsible for SEON Program 4 for weather forecasts II that a new regulation maintenance of required by divisions and was published. meteorological service for higher headquarters.” operation of the Air Forces The May 1945 Army The conduct of World War and provision of Regulation 95-150, Army II operations necessitated meteorological service for Weather Service, stated consideration of how best the Army except Army “[t]he AAF Weather to provide weather service meteorological ballistics Service will provide for all of the Army. data which will remain weather service for all with the Army.” This inter- On August 8, 1942, components of the United service agreement was General Henry “Hap” States Army except those solidified with the new Arnold requested the Air specifically exempted by joint publication AR 115- Staff investigate how to the War Department.” 10/AFR 105-3, Weather provide weather service to Service, in March 1949.✫ Air Force Weather Historian

The 25th OWS Has a Long Association with 12th AF

The Army Air Forces requirements of and Air Weather Service constituted today’s 25th procedures for providing inactivated the 25th Operational Weather their service in cold Weather Squadron on 30 Squadron as the 25th weather operations. To June 1972 as an Air Force Weather Squadron on validate its cold weather budgetary reduction October 28, 1943. The concepts the squadron caused Air Weather squadron activated at participated in joint Service to reduce Patterson Field, Ohio, and training activities such as squadron overhead. A was assigned to the Army Exercise SNOW STORM Staff Weather Officer cell Air Forces Weather Wing in upstate New York was established in its four days later. The 25th during the winter of 1953. place to support Twelfth moved to Lynbrook, Long Air Force. This was short- The 25th moved to Waco, Island, New York, on lived as Air Weather Texas, and began its November 4, 1943, and Service again activated association with the was disbanded on the squadron at on September 7, 1944. September 18, 1957. In and again assigned it to The U.S. Air Force addition to providing the 5th Weather Wing on reconstituted the 25th meteorological services to January 1, 1975. In June Weather Squadron on Twelfth Air Force bases, 1975 Lt Col George E. May 18, 1948, and the 25th supported U.S. Chapman, who was later activated it at Robins Air Strike Command promoted to brigadier Force Base, Georgia. The exercises, contingencies, general and served as squadron was assigned to and special missions. The commander of Air the 104th Weather, later squadron was assigned to Weather Service from the 2104th Air Weather the 5th Weather Wing 1982 to 1988, took Group on June 1, 1948. It when the wing was command of the 25th. In was reassigned to the activated on October 8, addition to numerous 2059th Air Weather Wing 1965. annual exercises, the 25th on October 24, 1950. supported contingencies The 25th moved to such as Operation JUST Donaldson Air Force CAUSE in 1989. Base, South Carolina, on The 25th was inactivated September 10, 1951. The on September 30, 1991, squadron was assigned to as part of the divestiture of the 2102d Air Weather Air Weather Service. The Group on September 16, squadron was 1951. The 25th was redesignated the 25th reassigned to the 2d The 25th’s “Weather Warrior” Operational Weather Weather Group on April emblem was approved on Squadron on February 5, 20, 1952. February 26, 1944. 1999, and activated at In 1953 in addition to Davis-Monthan Air Force operating the Troop Base, , on April 1, (above) Members of the Carrier Weather Center at The 25th Weather 1999. It was assigned to 25th Weather Squadron Donaldson Air Force Squadron moved to the 612th Air Operations prepare for and Base, the 25th was Bergstrom Air Force Base, Group, renewing its participant in the joint designated to test and Texas, on May 23, 1968, association with Twelfth forces Exercise SNOW develop doctrine for the concurrent with the move Air Force, which moved it STORM in upstate New provision of weather of Headquarters, Twelfth headquarters to Davis- York, 1953. service for airborne forces Air Force from Waco to Monthan Air Force Base

and determine the Bergstrom Air Force Base. in 1993.✫

Winter 2004

Colonel Golding Recalls Special Ops Weather Wayne L. Golding enlisted Golding returned to COL GOLDING: The next in the Air Force in 1959 special operations as thing you knew, we had and was assigned to operations officer and later Captain [Keith R.] Grimes commander of the 6th coming through the door. , Florida, in [He] was a brand-new shiny Weather Squadron, which October 1962. In January captain; he had pinned it on 1963, he became one of included duties as Staff just a few days earlier and the initial cadre for what Weather Officer for Air boy, was he ever impressive. was originally designated Force Special Operations He came in and he was full of as the Combat Commando Command. Following the enthusiasm and he was divestiture of Air Weather telling us about all this stuff Weather Team, later Service and another we were going to be doing on redesignated the Special promotion, Colonel Golding the combat weather team. Warfare Weather Team, was assigned as Chief of Frankly, I couldn’t see myself Col Wayne L. Golding doing half the stuff he was and the origins of today’s Environmental Services, talking about. I was special operations combat United States Special weather teams. wondering if he had the right Operations Command, guy, particularly when he got He graduated from Texas MacDill Air Force Base, to the part about jumping out A&M University in 1970 Florida. He served there of airplanes. I knew he had with a degree in until retirement from active the wrong guy because I was duty in July 1995. scared of heights, I didn’t meteorology and after want to get higher than about Officer Training School, The Air Force Weather six or seven feet off the Lieutenant Golding was History Office conducted ground. From that time until assigned back to Hurlburt, an interview with Colonel the time I went to jump school where he served as Officer Golding in August 2002. . . . I would be traveling on an in Charge, Special Here is an excerpt from airliner going somewhere and I would look down and say, Operations Weather Team. the interview. The “My God, am I really going to complete interview is do this?”✫ In October 1989, Lieutenant available on request. SSgt Wayne L. Golding

Meteorology Histories for your Bookshelf Every member of Air still largely neglected by Technology and Society at Force Weather should be historians of science. As Colby College and the knowledgeable of the a group they survey the author of several works on development of history of meteorology environmental science. meteorology. The Air from its earliest John Hopkins University Force Weather History speculations to its Press published Office recommends this development into a Meteorology in America, trio of texts on the history computational science. 1800-1870 in 1990. of meteorology, The H. Howard Frisinger is Frederik Nebeker is History of Meteorology to Professor Emeritus in the Senior Research Historian 1800 by H. Howard Department of at the Institute of Electrical Frisinger, Meteorology in Mathematics at Colorado and Electronics Engineers America, 1800-1870 by Aristotle’s weather State University. The History Center and James Rodger Fleming, treatise Meteorologica, American Meteorological adjunct professor of and Calculating the written about 340 BC, Society published History history at Rutgers Weather: Meteorology in was the unquestioned of Meteorology to 1800 in University. Academic the 20th Century by authority on weather 1977. Press published Frederik Nebeker. theory for nearly 2,000 Calculating the Weather: James Rodger Fleming is years. These books are among Meteorology in the 20th professor of Science, only a few in a field that is Century in 1995.✫

Air Force Weather Historian LookingNewsletter Back Title at Air Force Weather January 18, 1940, 1Lt (later Col) Arthur F. Merewether Air Force Weather replaced Capt Robert M. Losey as the second Chief of History Office the Weather Section in the Office of the Chief of the Air Corps. HQ AFWA/HO

106 Peacekeeper January 7, 1946, Headquarters, Army Air Forces Drive, Suite 2N3 Weather Service relocated from Asheville, North Offutt AFB NE Carolina, to Langley Field, Virginia. 68113-4039 January 31, 1970, The Air Force Global Weather Central, , Nebraska, assumed the severe weather forecasting and warning function upon PHONE: the inactivation of the Military Weather Warning Center 402 232-8682/8683 (Detachment 42, 7th Weather Wing) at Kansas City, Missouri. Col Arthur F. Merewether

February 1,1978, Air Weather Service declared the first DSN: station of the Radio Solar Telescope Network at Palehua, 272-8682/8683 Hawaii, operational. The Air Force had awarded the contract for the AN/FRR-95 solar radio telescope systems on February 9, 1976. FAX: February 5, 1947, Col (later Lt Gen) Donald N. Yates 402 232-8684 was promoted to brigadier general, the first officer to attain flag rank while serving in Air Force Weather. E-MAIL: [email protected] March 15, 1949, The Global Weather Central (no lineal relation to the Air Force Global Weather Central activated Brig Gen Donald N. Yates in 1969) was organized at Offutt Air Force, Nebraska, to support . “We can’t change the March 18, 1953, World War II weather officer Brig Gen weather, but we can Richard E. Ellsworth, wing commander at Rapid City Air change our operations Force Base, South Dakota, was killed in an RB-36 crash to conform to the in Newfoundland. Rapid City Air Force Base was weather.”

renamed in his honor in June Gen Henry H. Arnold 1953. World War II Diary

SEON Program Devised to Better Manage Funding By the mid-1970s some program management using single rather than within the leadership of Air directive in February 1975 dual computers. Other Weather Service voiced combining the two cost savings were concerns about the future programs into the Solar realized by production of the Space Electro-Optical Network rather than pre-production In the next issue Environmental Support thereby permitting the two system procurement and 26 OWS Lineage; System, whose programs to be managed by moving directly to Maj Gen Collens architecture had been as one, providing better acceptance testing, unveiled in 1968. Limited procurement overhead minimizing or eliminating Interview; and more. funding hampered efficiencies. design and development progress in the testing. To keep costs within procurement of equipment acceptable limits, the new In late 1976 the Radio for the Solar Observing RSTN procurement Solar Telescope Network “Provide the historical perspective Optical Network and the strategy included equipment was Radio Solar Telescope for Air Force Weather to know its providing subsystems, designated AN/FRR-95, Network. past, understand its present, and such as antennas, to the officially termed the Radio anticipate its future.” Consequently, the Air contractor as government- Interference Measuring Staff issued a revised furnished property and Set.✫