A Special Operations Weather Team member collects weather data using specialized equipment. SOWTs can deploy to austere locations, where there is no weather data available, and provide it back to Special Operations Forces. (courtesy photo)
Retired Senior Master Sgt. Henry Kelley, then master sergeant, packs a parachute before a jump in the early 1960s. Kelley, an original member of the Commando Combat Weather Team, laid the foundation for the Special Operations Weather Team career field as it is known today. He was recently inducted into the Grey Beret Association Hall of Fame for his extraordinary efforts during his career. (courtesy photo)
A group of Commando Combat Weather Team members participate in field
weather training at Alexandria Air Force Base, La., in the early 1960s. (courtesy photo)
Staff Sgt. Bryce Howser, Special Operations Weather Team member, measures the depth and flow rate of a river in Afghanistan. SOWTs use this data to determine whether or not a river is safe to cross on foot. Howser is now assigned to the 320th Special Tactics Squadron in Kadena, Japan. (courtesy photo)
A five-man Special Operation Weather Team participates in avalanche and environmental reconnaissance training. This type of training is usually completed in locations like Wyoming or Alaska, where they can hone their avalanche prediction skills. (courtesy photo)
by Senior Airman Melanie Holochwost
Air Force Special Operations Command Public Affairs
12/10/2012 - HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. (AFNS) -- The Special Operations Weather Team is one of the newest career fields in the Air Force, officially created just three years ago. However, this grey beret-wearing unit has been around since 1963, originally known as the Commando Combat Weather Team stationed here at Hurlburt Field, Fla.
To remember their past and unique heritage, the Grey Beret Association was formed in May 2012 and recently named seven SOWT veterans to its hall of fame.
Selected for their outstanding service record were Keith Grimes, Joseph Conaty Jr., Cornelius Gray, Ronald Kellerman, Lloyd Mitchell Jr., Charles Irby, and Henry Kelley.
These seven men laid the foundation for the SOWT career field as it is known today.
According to Kelley, today's SOWTs have gone through a drastically different process than he did as a member of the original team.
"At first, there was no selection process whatsoever," Kelley said. "One day a colonel came up to me and said, 'you look like you're in pretty good shape ... take the rest of the week off, you're going to jump school on Monday.'"
As an airman second class, Col. (Ret) Wayne Golding said he made the team because he picked a piece of paper from a hat that read, "You are a commando." Then, just moments later he was selected as the acting NCO in-charge because he wore the largest boots of the selectees.
Although these selection practices were pretty clever, the selectees were dropping left and right mainly due to a lack of mental strength and fortitude, according to Golding.
"We definitely learned some things along the way," he said. "After we noticed how horrible our retention rates were, we had potential recruits come to our unit and stay with us for about a week to sort of test them out and get to know their personalities. We made sure they were going to be alright. And, it seemed to work because we stopped losing people."
Fast-forward about five decades, and the selection process is much more intense -- designed not to just retain, but to find the most elite warfighters.
Now, SOWT candidates must be able to swim 25-meters underwater twice, surface swim for 500-meters in less than 14 minutes, run 1.5 miles in less than 10 minutes and 10 seconds, and perform at least eight pull ups in a minute, 48 sit ups in two minutes, and 48 pushups in two minutes.
"That's just the beginning," said Maj. John Syc, 10th Combat Weather Squadron SOWT operations director. "After they begin training, they are expected to greatly improve on those numbers."
Although the job has evolved over time, one constant between past and present is training. SOWTs have always trained hard.
During the first few years, training was trial and error, Golding said.
"We didn't have any good roadmaps for training when we started in 1963," he said. "By 1964, we went through parachute training and survival school (now called Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape training). We also trained on Morse Code, learned second languages and became experts in every weapon we used."
Since then, SOWTs have been steadily expanding on those training requirements.
"We now have a very structured training regimen that is scheduled several months in advance," said Capt. David Mack, 10th CWS SOWT. "Basically, when we are not deployed, our job is training."
The training is about 70 percent weather-related and 30 percent tactical, according to Mack.
"It's split up this way because if we are unable to do our jobs (as weathermen), we aren't of much value to the mission," he said. "But, the mission requires us to become 'jacks of all trades.' Not only do we need to know our primary jobs, but we also need to know something about maintenance, logistics, and several other career fields, since we deploy in such small teams."
Over the course of 50 years, the SOWT career field has adapted from casual beginnings to a very strict and structured present. SOWTs are selected from the best of the best and they train every day to ensure they are uniformly qualified for the dynamic demands of the mission.
Comments
12/17/2012 1:17:03 PM ET Cheap shot from somebody who may or may not have been theredone that. My son is a SOWT. Be nice.
JR78, DFW
12/14/2012 1:25:20 PM ET Old TimerSOWT has extremely high standards. There are no rejects from any of these groups. Men who try their best and some pass while some may not. Ultimately there are no rejects on AF active duty that I am aware of. Show a little respect. You may have been there and everywhere but it seems that you never learned any respect. Talk trash and have the courage to name yourself instead of hiding behind a nickname.
Travis Longmire, Gulf Coast
12/11/2012 9:45:55 PM ET Note to the editor. I thought you guys were not supposed to release the names and locations of special operations personnel.
Old Sarge, Las Vegas
12/11/2012 3:56:20 PM ET Wow finally a home for para-rescue rejects
