Joint Base Charleston
Patriot
Vol. 3, No. 31
Team Charleston – One Family, One Mission, One Fight!
Friday, August 3, 2012
Staff Sgt. Marlyn Daust, 437th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight weather forecaster, points to an area on a radar screen July 30, 2012, at Joint Base Charleston – Air Base, S.C. The radar gives a more accurate look at the weather through the atmosphere and enables the Weather Flight to predict the timing of thunderstorms approaching JB Charleston.
INSIDE
HAWC
437th OSS Weather Flight provides critical forecasts for JB Charleston Story and photos by Senior Airman Anthony Hyatt Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
New staff and new programs for a new you See page 10
CHIEF!
The JB Charleston list of selectees See page 4
NHCC
Inspection ready
See page 6 Weekend Weather Update JB CHS, SC
Friday, August 3
Afternoon T-Storms (40% precip)
High 91º Low 76º
Saturday, August 4
Isolated T-Storms (30% precip)
High 87º Low 73º
Sunday, August 5
Isolated T-Storms (30% precip)
High 86º Low 75º
In a location where weather can turn severe at a moment's notice, one team remains prepared to keep Team Charleston alert and ready for the always changing conditions around the base. The 437th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight provides critical, timely and accurate weather intelligence in support of both the Joint Base Charleston - Air Base and Weapons Station. They also provide mission-execution briefings, seasonal climatology briefings and local weather familiarization briefings upon request. The four-man shop consists of three staff sergeants, who are weather forecasters or Air Force Specialty Code 1W0X1s, and the flight chief.
Duties and Responsibilities These 1W0X1s observe, record and disseminate weather data and information. "Essentially, resource protection is what we do on a day-to-day basis," said Staff Sgt. Marlyn Daust, 437th OSS Weather Flight weather forecaster. "The 'lightning within five' or any kind of weather warning you receive is what we provide the base and aircraft. We're able to brief pilots, both on the ground and in the sky, from Georgia through North Carolina. We have
a radio-communication system, or Pilot-to-Metro Service, we use to talk with pilots as they are flying their aircraft. This way we can give them upto-the-minute weather, if they request it." By using satellite and radar imagery, computer-generated graphics and weather-communication equipment and instruments, these weather forecasters can analyze atmospheric and space data and information. "For the most part, we work cooperatively with the National Weather Service, the Federal Aviation Administration observer and tower personnel," said Daust. "We use their real-time radar imagery nearly every day." Also, the Weather Flight issues warnings and advisories to alert users to mission critical weather. The Weather Flight works cooperatively with the regional forecasting office at Barksdale Air Force Base, La. They interact with at least one forecaster to form a better forecast, said Daust. McPherson added, the back-up system allows for coverage 24-hours-aday, seven days a week. "Someone at Barksdale is always keeping an eye on JB Charleston and stands ready to issue any warning or make calls," said McPherson. "We get plenty of calls about the flag condition reminders on your computers ... Weather Flight does not handle that," Daust said. "We send out the warnings for tornadoes, severe winds, severe hail, freezing See Weather Flight (and photos) on Page 3
AFPAAS accounts for Airmen during disasters By Airman 1st Class Tom Brading Joint Base Charleston Public Affairs
The date is Aug. 29, 2005, and Hurricane Katrina makes landfall on the Gulf Coast. The Category 4 storm ravages the area, destroying everything in its wake, including the city of New Orleans, La. Thousands of people desperately flee the region, but many are not so lucky. Through the chaos, family members are separated from each other. Many children and elderly were among the nearly 2,000 people who died in that hurricane and subsequent flooding. The nation could only watch in horror as images of lost and scared children, and thousands of newly homeless were replayed on television sets across the country. Staff Sgt. Michael Wise, 628th Force Support Squadron, Air Force Personnel Accountability and Assessment System moderator, was a young Airman stationed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., during Hurricane Katrina. He spent countless hours volunteering and helping in the clean-up. "One major problem the Department of Defense had during Katrina was accountability for its people," said Wise. "Commanders couldn't get 100 percent accountability of their Airmen and their families. We need accountability for
many reasons; most importantly, safety, but also, if you know who isn't actually accounted for, you can dedicate more time to finding them." Hurricane Katrina is just one example of a recent natural disaster. Other disasters have come and gone throughout the years, requiring the Air Force to develop a system to effectively account for its members and dependents.
One program, AFPAAS, helps keep people in touch during a crisis and Joint Base Charleston, in conjunction with the Air Force, has recently been conducting exercises to test the AFPAAS system. AFPAAS is a web-based application used to account for and assess the needs of the Air Force total force including active-duty Airmen, selected Reserve members, Department of the Air Force and non-appropriated fund civilian employees, Air Force contractors overseas and family members. "In the wake of any manmade or natural disaster, AFPAAS can help provide 100 percent accountability of all personnel and dependents," said Wise. "My job is to ensure 100 percent accountability for all active-duty Air Force
units at JB Charleston. "The program is a wonderful way to account for all Airmen," Wise continued. "During the wildfires in Colorado earlier this year, the Air Force implemented AFPAAS. Within one day of implementation, we are able to account for all Airmen and their dependents on our installation. It's things like AFPAAS that will keep the Air Force safe in the face of whatever incidents come our way." According to Wise, all Airmen are responsible for letting their command know if they have any dependents affected in the crisis area, such as New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina. Airmen should only account for dependents enrolled in their Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System account. "AFPAAS allows commanders and units to account, assess, manage and monitor the recovery process and wellness of their Airmen and families," said Wise. "Having information available to the command will help keep everything organized, which benefits the safety for all Airmen at JB Charleston and Air Force wide." AFPAAS can be accessed from the Air Force Portal, AF.mil and the Air Force Personnel Center website (www.afpc.af.mil) or visit the myPers website at http://mypers.af.mil. For Navy personnel, visit the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System at http://navyfamily.navy.mil.
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