20th Operational Weather Squadron

The 20th Operational Weather Squadron which provided detailed forecasts for the Air Force and Army in Japan and South Korea, is now inactive following the transfer of its mission to Hickam Field, Hawaii.

Mission

Until its inactivation in April 2006, the 20th Operational Weather Squadron was responsible for producing and disseminating mission planning and execution weather analyses, forecasts, and briefings for Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Guard, Reserve, USFK, PACOM, PACAF, USAPRAC, SOCPAC, and NAVPAC forces operating at 115 installations/sites over 5.2 million sq.mi. within the Pacific theater of operations.

This weather squadron was responsible for base or post forecasting, developing weather products, briefing transient aircrews, and weather warnings for all of their geographical units. Using automatic observing systems located at all military installations and communicating with their combat weather flights, the squadron was able to 'watch' the weather in their entire area of responsibility from one central location.

The Operational Weather Squadron was the first place a newly schooled weather apprentice would report. At the squadron, working alongside a seasoned weather professional, the forecaster was trained in all aspects of Air Force meteorology, from pilot briefing to tactical forecasting.

The weather squadron worked closely with the combat weather flights they support to ensure a flawless exchange of weather information.

Personnel and resources

20th Operational Weather Squadron’s manning consisted of active duty, reserve, civilian and contract personnel and was located on Yokota Air Base, Japan, Under the Fifth Air Force, Yokota Air Base, Japan.

Lineage

Activations and Deactivations of the 20th Weather Squadron, and 20th Operational Weather Squadron.

Constituted 20th Weather Squadron and activated on 15 Apr 1943
Disbanded on 31 Oct 1943
Reconstituted on 4 Nov 1944
Activated on 6 Dec 1944
Deactivated on 18 Feb 1957
Activated on 2 Mar 1964
Organized on 8 Jun 1964
Deactivated on 1 Sep 1976
Activated on 1 Jan 1985
Deactivated on 1 Jun 1992
Redesignated 20th Operational Weather Squadron on 13 Jul 2000
Activated on 1 Oct 2000
Inactivated on April 17, 2006

Duty Assignments

List of duty assignments and parent units from 1943 to present.

Cairo, Egypt, 9th Air Force, 15 April 1943 – 31 October 1943

Sorido Airdrome, Biak Island, Netherlands East Indies, Far East Air Forces Regional Control and Weather Group (provisional), 6 December 1944 – 9 May 1945
Fort McKinley, Manila, Luzon, P.I., Far East Air Forces Regional Control and Weather Group, 9 May 1945 – 14 August 1945

Nichols Field, Luzon, P.I., Far East Air Forces Regional Control and Weather Group 14 August 1945 – 20 September 1945

Nichols Field, Luzon, P.I., 1st Weather Group (later, 2100st Air weather Group, 20 September 1945 – 2 November 1945

Tokyo, Japan, 1st Weather Group (later, 2100st Air weather Group, 2 November 1945 – 22 May 1946

Yamato Building, Nagoya, 1st Weather Group (later, 2100st Air weather Group, 22 May 1946 – 23 October 1949

Yamato Building, Nagoya, 2143rd Air Weather Wing, 23 October 1949 – 8 February 1954

Yamato Building, Nagoya, 1st Weather Wing 8 February 1954 – c. August 1954

Sumitomo Building, Nagoya, 1st Weather Wing, c. August 1954 – c. April 1956

Nagoya Air Station (later Moriyama Air Station), Japan, 1st Weather Wing c. April 1956 – 18 February 1957

Fuchu Air Station, Japan, 1st Weather Wing, 8 June 1964 – 6 October 1974

Yokota Air Base, Japan, 1st Weather Wing, 6 October 1974 – 1 September 1976

Yokota Air Base, Japan, 1st Weather Wing, 1 January 1985 – 30 September 1991

Yokota Air Base, Japan, Pacific Air Forces, 30 September 1991 – 1 April 1992

Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, Pacific Air Forces, 1 April 1992 – 15 April 1992

Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, 15th Operations Group, 15 April 1992 – 1 June 1992

Yokota Air Base, Japan, Fifth Air Force, 1 October 2000 – 17 April 2006

Emblem

Approved on 9 Oct 1986
Blue and yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The weather satellite symbolizes the mission of the unit to provide support in the atmospheric sciences. The black and light blue background depicts night and day capability. The globe is from the emblem of the parent major command and further depicts global responsibilities. The two stars indicate the services, US Air Force and U.S. Army, that the unit supports by providing meteorological information.

History

The 20th Weather Squadron activated at Cairo, Egypt, on April 15, 1943, and was assigned to the Ninth Air Force, but was soon thereafter disbanded on October 31, 1943.

The Army Air Forces again activated the 20th on December 6, 1944, on Biak Island in what was then known as the Netherlands East Indies, today’s Indonesia. The 20th absorbed the resources and mission of the 5231st Weather Squadron (Provisional). The 20th was assigned to the Far East Air Forces Weather Group (Provisional) at that time.

In May 1945 the squadron moved its headquarters by from Biak Island to Fort McKinley near Manila, Philippines. By the close of July 1945, the squadron had grown to more than 700 men and the headquarters was overseeing the work of 34 weather stations, many of which were in isolated locations.

The Army Air Forces Weather Service assumed control of all weather organizations on July 1, 1945, and organized the 20th under the 1st Weather Group on September 20, 1945. Due to congested quarters at Fort McKinley, the 20th’s headquarters moved again in August 1945 to nearby Nichols Field. While headquartered in the Philippines, the 20th lost two men to combat action.

Following the capitulation of Japan, the 20th began its long association with Japan. The squadron moved its headquarters to Tokyo on November 2, 1945, and accompanied Headquarters, Fifth Air Force to Nagoya on May 22, 1946.

War demobilization caused the 20th to lose personnel rapidly. To accomplish its growing mission, the 20th hired local nationals, employed non-weather officers to oversee some weather stations, and began on the-job schools to cross-train enlisted men into weather career fields.

By late-1946, the 20th was operating weather stations in Japan, China, and Korea. The 20th relinquished control of the China stations in 1947 and the last Korean station was closed in 1949. The squadron came under the leadership of the 2143d Air Weather Wing in 1949.

Within three days of North Korean troops crossing into South Korea in June 1950, a detachment of the 20th Weather Squadron was airlifted to Taegu, Korea. The leadership of the 20th Weather Squadron was soon burdened by the growth of detachments both in Korea and Japan to support the war effort. By early November 1950, the 20th was overseeing 27 detachments, eight of which were in Korea, where, on average, one of these detachments relocated every five days. The Air Force activated the 30th Weather Squadron to oversee Korean operations, but the 20th remained deeply involved in the war effort.

The 20th was assigned to the newly activated 1st Weather Wing in 1954. The squadron was deactivated on February 18, 1957, but emerged anew at Fuchu Air Station, Japan, on June 8, 1964, where it remained until1974 when it relocated to Yokota Air Base. Again, it was deactivated in 1976 as part of an Air Weather Service reorganization only to return at Yokota on January 1, 1985.

As part of the divestiture of Air Weather Service, the 20th was assigned to Pacific Air Forces in 1991. It relocated to Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii, on April 1, 1992, and was deactivated on June 1. With the reengineering of the Air Force Weather Agency the 20th was redesignated an Operational Weather Squadron on July 13, 2000, and activated on October 1. It was assigned to Fifth Air Force and stationed again at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

Recent History

The 20th Operational Weather Squadron became inactive on April 17, 2006 when its mission was transferred to the 17th Operational Weather Squadron at Hickam Field, Hawaii.

Awards

Service Streamers. World War II European-African-Middle Eastern Theater; Korean Service
Campaign Streamers. World War II Asiatic-Pacific Theater, New Guinea 1943-1944
Decorations. Air Force Outstanding Unit Award for periods: Mar 1956-Oct 1956; 2 Jul 1967-30 Jun 1969; 1 Jul 1970-30 Jun 1972; 1 Jul 1972-30 Jun 1973; 1 Jul 1974-30 Jun 1976; 1 Jul 1986-30 Jun 1988.

External links

* [http://www.stripesonline.com/article.asp?section=104&article=29362&archive=true 20OWS Article]
* [https://afweather.afwa.af.mil/about/history/docs/AFW_Historian_Newsletter_1-4.pdf 20OWS History]
* [http://www.usafpatches.com/pubs/owslh.pdf 20OWS Article]
* [http://www.w1vxa.us/20_WS_History.html 20 OWS History Page (w1vxa.us)]