36th OSS weathermen look beyond the clouds Published Aug. 27, 2008 By Senior Airman Shane Dunaway 36th Wing Public Affairs ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam (AFPN) -- When ominous clouds form overhead, it's a safe bet that the forecasters of the 36th Operations Support Squadron's weather flight here have the inside scoop on sky-high happenings. A group of 10 Andersen Airmen are responsible for taking hourly weather observations which are used to inform the local populace and for recording the data for climatology and historical purposes. "By keeping these records, people can go back and see what percentage of occurrence we have of thunderstorms during a given month," said Senior Airman Timothy Kramerick, a 36th OSS weather flight forecaster. "This gives us a way to more accurately forecast weather based on what has previously happened." Tracking this data also assists the forecasters in performing their most critical task: to protect base resources. "We're here in case of any inclement weather," Airman Kramerick said. "We'll issue a lightning watch or lightning warning, effectively shutting down the airfield and any construction." Weather flight Airmen also provide support for transient aircrews on base. "Any flight that's going to be performed has to have a weather briefing with a go/no-go forecast before they're allowed to actually go on their flight mission," Airman Kramerick said. In addition to assisting the transient aircrews, the weathermen also support the HSC-25 Island Knights, a Navy unit responsible for conducting search and rescue missions, as well as the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, also known as the Hurricane Hunters. "The Hurricane Hunters will be flying and doing precision air drops in the area to try to scientifically decipher better ways to accurately forecast tropical storms and typhoons," Airman Kramerick said. For the noncommissioned officers of the weather flight, the mission takes on a slightly different look. According to Master Sgt. Mark Gustilo, NCO-in-charge of weather operations, his role is to oversee weather operations, ensure customer support and brief wing leaders on current weather happenings. "I think there's a lot of challenges with being involved in the weather career field," Sergeant Gustilo said. "Some days the weather can be really quiet. Some days, you could have a typhoon approaching. What I've seen during my career is when you're dealing with Mother Nature, there's a lot of unpredictably involved. It definitely keeps you on your toes." Despite the unpredictable nature and the possibilities of potentially working 12-hour days, Airman Kramerick finds time to enjoy the finer points of his job. "The best part of working in weather is getting to directly interact with the people who are carrying out the mission," Airman Kramerick said. "You get to talk to pilots of all ranks. You get to know where they're going and what they're doing. You get to see how your job directly impacts them, and usually, when they get back, they'll provide us some kind of feedback like, 'Hey, good job on that forecast. Everything was right. You guys really took care of us.'" Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page