Nylander Rememberance

Senior Airman Samantha Braley, Air Force Weather Agency A6W, stands guard next to a battlefield cross inside the AFWA headquarters facility April 26 at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. Braley was one of more than 30 men and women that volunteered to stand guard in 30 or 60 minute shifts for 24 hours as a way of honoring Capt. Nate Nylander, a weather officer who was killed in Afghanistan along with eight others during a shooting at Kabul International Airport on April 27, 2011. (Photo by Charles Haymond)

Nylander Rememberance

Senior Airman Samantha Braley, Air Force Weather Agency A6W, steps in to relieve Col. David Bacot, 2d Weather Group commander, after standing guard next to a battlefield cross inside the AFWA headquarters facility April 26 at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. More than 30 men and women volunteered from AFWA to stand guard in 30 or 60 minute shifts for 24 hours as a way of honoring Capt. Nate Nylander, a weather officer who was killed in Afghanistan along with eight others during a shooting at Kabul International Airport on April 27, 2011. (Photo by Charles Haymond)

Ground Breaking

Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. – Chief Master Sgt. Jason Quesenberry, 1st Air Support Operations Group chief enlisted manager, Col. Steven Gray 1st ASOG commander, Lt. Col. Bill Courtemanche, 1st Weather Squadron commander, Maj. Paul Lucyk, 1st WS director of operations, and Senior Master Sgt. Thomas Briggs, 1st WS superientendent, perform the ceremonial ground on a brand new 1st WS headquarters facility here July 13. The new complex is part of a $6.4 million Army project and will increase the capabilities of this group of 65 battlefield Airmen and five civilians. (Courtesy photo)

2d WXG Change of Command

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Col. Louis Zuccarello, Air Force Weather Agency commander, hands the 2d Weather Group guidon to Col. David Bacot, signifying the official change of command for the group during a ceremony at AFWA's Chief Master Sgt. Peter Morris Auditorium July 12. Bacot, who comes to the 2d WXG from Fort McNair in Washington D.C., assumed command from Col. Steven DeSordi, who now leaves for the Pentagon. (Air Force photo by Jeff Gates)

Antarctica Visit

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Joshua Linsell, meteorology major, holds the Cadet Squadron 25 guidon at the South Pole in -18 degree temps. Linsell visited Antarctica in December as part of a joint U.S. Antarctic Program and Air Force’s Nation Science Foundation trip. (Courtesy photo)

Antarctica Visit

U.S. Air Force Academy Cadet 1st Class Joshua Linsell, meteorology major, stands in front of an LC-130 during one his flights in the Antarctic. Linsell visited in December as part of a joint U.S. Antarctic Program and Air Force’s Nation Science Foundation trip. (Courtesy photo)

Seabees at AFWA

Petty Officer 1st Class Eric Sanders, a utilitiesman with a Mobile Utilities Support Equipment team from Port Hueneme, Calif., shows Steve Soleta, power production technician with the 55th Civil Engineer Squadron, how to operate one of their generators July 19 at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. The MUSE team was here from July 18-27 to install a 3.2 megawatt power plant in conjunction with a 5000 KVA substation. (Air Force photo by Jeff Gates)

Seabees at AFWA

Petty Officer Second Class Cole Einhaus, a utilitiesman with a Mobile Utilities Support Equipment team from Port Hueneme, Calif., watches on as other MUSE team members and power production technicians from the 55th Civil Engineer Squadron here prepare a secondary containment for a fuel tank on July 19 at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb. The MUSE team was here from July 18-27 to install a 3.2 megawatt power plant in conjunction with a 5000 KVA substation. (Air Force photo by Jeff Gates)

D-M honors fallen Airman

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. - The battle cross dedicated to Capt. Nathan Nylander is displayed during the memorial service held at the 755th Aircraft Maintenance Hangar here May 6. The battle cross symbolizes the final march in the battle of a fallen comrade. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Jerilyn Quintanilla)

D-M Airman killed in Kabul

The Desert Lightning Team lost one of its own when Capt. Nathan J. Nylander, 25th Operational Weather Squadron, was killed April 27 during a shooting at Kabul International Airport, Afghanistan. He is survived by his wife, Miriam, and three children. The Desert Lightning Team is saddened by this tragic loss. (Courtesy photo)

Space Weather

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Staff Sgt. Matthew Money, left, and Staff Sgt. Jonathan Lash, forecasters with the 2d Weather Squadron's space weather flight, monitor the near earth space environment at the squadron's space weather operations center located inside the Air Force Weather Agency here. The 2d WS squadron’s worldwide space weather team of roughly 50 active-duty members, civilians and contractors continually analyze, forecast and provide alert notifications for the entire Department of Defense as well as a whole host of other government agencies.

Award Winner

DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. -- Lt. Col. Lee Byerle, 25th Operational Weather Squadron commander, congratulates Stephen Bieda on winning the Associated Unit Intermediate Civilian of the Year award at the Desert Lightning Team annual awards ceremony Feb. 5 held at the Mirage Club here.

Uphill Battle

ATOP MOUNT LEMMON, Ariz. -- (From left to right) Capt. Tim Villaran, 25th Operational Weather Squadron flight commander, Marc Touchton, 25th OWS meteorologist, Lt. Col. Lee Byerle, 25th OWS commander, and 25th OWS forecasters Senior Airman Carlos Calle and Airman 1st Class Michael Neahr, pose for a photo following the completion of the inaugural Mount Lemmon Half Marathon on Oct. 17. Also completing the race was Senior Master Sgt. Gabriel Lacayo, 25th OWS operations superintendent. The marathon is billed as the toughest marathon in the world and the only uphill marathon in the United States. (Courtesy Photo)

Deployed Forecaster

SOUTHWEST ASIA -- Staff Sgt. Ashley Barnett, a weather forecaster for the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing, collects data from a TMQ-53 weather sensor to observe conditions and update forecasts at an undisclosed air base in Southwest Asia, Oct. 28, 2010. The 386th AEW forecasters work behind the scenes to provide Air Force and Army personnel with accurate, up-to-date forecasts so flying missions can continue in support of operations Enduring Freedom and New Dawn. Barnett is deployed from Air Mobility Command’s 305th Operations Support Squadron, 305th Air Mobility Wing, at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Senior Airman Laura Turner)

Braving the weather

A special operations weather team operator looks out the back of a CH-47 Chinook to locate a landing site during an operational training exercise April 15, 2010, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The exercise was part of Red Flag-Alaska 10-2 and enables units to sharpen their combat skills by exchanging tactics, techniques, and procedures and improves interoperability. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Willard E. Grande II)

Braving the weather

A team of special operations weather team operators hurry to board a CH-47 Chinook during a training operation for Red Flag-Alaska 10-2 April 15, 2010, Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The operators are deploying weather pods that will take several different types of readings that could affect air and ground operations down range. (U.S. Air Force photo/Airman 1st Class Willard E. Grande II)

Red Flag WX specialists do more than predict the weather

Staff Sgt. CeCe Ybarra, a Red Flag weather forecaster deployed from the 48th Operations Support Squadron at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England, briefs Red Flag aircrews prior to a mission. Sergeant Ybarra provides weather support for more than 1,200 servicemembers from the U.S. and United Kingdom participating in the exercise. (U.S. Air Force photo)

Weathering the storm

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- The 28th Operational Weather Squadron monitors weather patterns within Air Force Central Command's area of responsibility in the Middle East Jan. 26. The meteorological information is used to plan war-fighting missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. (U.S. Air Force photo/2nd Lt. Tony Richardson)

Operation Turbulent Climb

CAMP RED CLOUD, Republic of Korea -- (From left to right) Detachment 1, 607th Weather Squadron members Senior Airman Zach Scott, Master Sgt. Geoffrey Mason and Staff Sgt. Billy Harris make their way up the hill near Camp Red Cloud during Operation Turbulent Climb. The team members ascended over 1,000 feet while carrying 65 pounds of gear and covering nearly five miles in distance. (Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Shane Gillies)

Operation Turbulent Climb

CAMP RED CLOUD, Republic of Korea -- Detachment 1 members ascend the hill while wearing their gas masks during a simulated chemical attack during Operation Turbulent Climb. The exercise trained the Airmen to perform tactical weather tasks in a wartime environment. (Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. William Acevedo)

How's the air up there?

ILOPANGO, El Salvador – Air Force Tech. Sgt. Bill Bayer, a weather meteorologist assigned to Joint Task Force-Bravo, performs early morning weather checks measuring winds, temperature, dew point and pressure with a handheld Kestrel Nov. 14. Sergeant Bayer has been a vital piece to providing daily weather reports for the 1st Battalion, 228th Regiment during a deployment to El Salvador in order to help them stabilize the region from a recent mudslide. Since Nov. 11 JTF-Bravo has distributed more than 172,700 pounds of supplies (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Chad Thompson).

Weather or not to fly

Tech. Sgt. John Moore, 4th Operations Support Squadron weather technician, briefs Maj. William Lulay, 4th Fighter Wing safety office, on weather conditions at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., Sept 3, 2009. All weather personnel complete a nine-month training course at Keesler Air Force Base and travel to one of the eight weather hubs as a weather observer to receive on-the-job training before becoming a weather forecaster. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Rae Perry)

Joint Operational Area Forecasters

SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. -- Tech. Sgt. Casey Grim, a reservist with the 5th Operational Weather Flight, and Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Jorge Castillo, an aerographer’s mate second class from Naval Station Norfolk, Va., both serve together at the 28th Operational Weather Squadron here as Joint Operational Area Forecasters. The combined 28th OWS team provides weather products for all branches of the U.S. military and our coalition partners in the U.S. Central Command's AOR, covering 20 countries spanning 5,000 square miles on two continents. (Photo by Ryan Hansen)

Special Ceremonies Team

From left to right, Staff Sgt. Nick Case, Capt. Alicia Hughes, Capt. Randy Haeberle and Staff Sgt. Andrew Porden of the 14th Weather Squadron’s Special Ceremonies Team present the colors at a Hope for Wounded Warriors event featuring former Kansas senator and presidential candidate Bob Dole. The SCT serves as both the color guard and honor guard for an area covering almost 20,000 square miles in the Western Carolinas and Eastern Tennessee.