Page 7 - Nellis Creech NTTR Bullseye 12-18-15

BULLSEYE Feature 7December 18, 2015

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RPAs, from page 6 _______________________

The weather flight has multiple responsibilities re- U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Adarius Petty
garding the mission at Creech AFB and downrange
which benefit the global RPA enterprise. Staff Sgt. Tyler and Senior Airman Michelle, both 432nd Operations Support Squadron RPA weather ops forecasters,
perform a manual observation at Creech Air Force Base, Nev., Dec. 9. The 432nd OSS weather flight is broken up into
“We ensure the safety of aircraft at home and abroad,” three sections: 432nd Wing Operations Center weather, 732nd Operations Group weather, and local weather. Each
said Staff Sgt. Christopher, 432nd OSS RPA weather fore- one has its own specific mission.
caster. “The RPA platform is unique in that the majority
of the time the focus of their eyes are the ground rather
than the sky around them, we are here to provide RPA
crews ‘eyes in the sky’ and watch what is going on around
them to keep them safe from weather phenomena.”

Another capability is the WOC weather website.
This is a website used by not only the WOC, but also air
operations centers and flying units around the globe
to support RPA operations. This website was created
and maintained by Staff Sgt. Thomas, who took it upon
himself to innovate and create a product that thousands
of people can view worldwide to better their mission.

Keeping each section evenly manned so the mission
can be executed properly has proven to be a challenge.

“Most of my job is coordinating manning between my
three different sections, ensuring they are as balanced
as they can be to maintain operations, keep morale as
high as possible, and give my people every opportunity
I can,” said Capt. Jeff, weather flight commander.

According to Jeff, weather support is critical to the
mission. RPAs are some of the most weather-sensitive
aircraft in the U.S. Air Force inventory. Weather affects
everything from the aircraft to satellite links to home
station communication with the aircraft. It is essential
for mission commanders to know what and where the
weather is to effectively plan their missions around it.

LET TAKE “TIMELY AND REFRESHINGLY
YOU TO THE TOP
HARD-HITTING.”
The Master of Human Relations degree from
Scott Mendelson
The University of Oklahoma at Nellis AFB is designed to

provide a quality education for adult professionals
interested in creating and leading team-based
organizations, social justice and change, and helping
people and communities. The degree program has
emphases in counseling, social justice, organizational
and change management.

What you can do with a Human Relations degree or
certificate from OU?

Counseling or other helping professions

Human resource development

Nonprofit, public and private organizations

Equal opportunity

Organizational leadership

The University of Oklahoma

at Nellis AFB

4475 England Ave.
99FSS/FSDE Bldg #20, Suite 317

Nellis AFB, NV 89191-6525
(702) 643-5354
apnellis@ou.edu
goOU.ou.edu

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