Weather inspectors

KARSHI-KHANABAD AIR BASE, Uzbekistan -- First Lt. John Hurley conducts site inspections of the remote weather instrumentation near the flight line here. Lieutenant Hurley is the officer in charge of the combat weather team operations. He is assigned with the 416th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron weather flight and deployed from Kadena Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Shad Eidson)

Combat weather team forecasts mission success

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Jim Moullet provides a weather update used for flight planning. Besides hourly forecasts, the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing's combat weather team reports local weather data to the Air Force Weather Agency. Sergeant Moullet is deployed from Ft. Polk, La. (U.S. photo by Staff Sgt. Jennifer Lindsey)

Weather check

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan -- Staff Sgt. Sherdean Brisendine adjusts the Tactical Meteorological Observation System, a portable system to help forecasters take barometric pressure, temperature, and wind direction and speed readings. She is a 455th Expeditionary Operations Group forecaster here. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andrew Gates)

Predicting the weather

UDORN THANI, Thailand -- Marine Corps Sgt. Ryan Cunningham (left) and Staff Sgt. Michael Rudd will use a satellite receiver to provide a timely and accurate weather picture for crews aboard MC-130s, F/A-18s, KC-135 Stratotankers and C-12s during Cobra Gold 04. They are part of a multinational, multiservice team of weather forecasters here. Cobra Gold is an exercise designed to improve U.S., Thai, Singaporean, Mongolian and Filipino combined readiness and interoperability, enhance security relationships and demonstrate U.S. resolve in the region. Sergeant Cunningham is assigned to the Marine Wing Support Squadron 171 at Iwakuni, Japan. Sergeant Rudd is assigned to the 353rd Operations Support Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan. (U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Michael Farris)