Operations DESERT SHIELD/DESERT STORM Report 1

File: 120596_aacxh_17.txt
Page: 17
Total Pages: 53

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0730L CENTAF SWO briefed Lt Gen Homer and his staff. This briefing included terminal and training target weather, Baghdad and KTO weather, and other significant features, such as maximum temperature.

1200L TACC weather team briefed a 36- to 60-hour forecast used in building the day after tomorrow's ATO to CENTAF DO/TACC Fraggers.

1730L CENTAF SWO briefed the 36- to 60-hour forecast to Lt Gen Homer.

1800L TACC weather team briefed evening shift change. In addition to standard briefing support, the CENTAF SWO provided climatological studies for expected weather at the start of the war, to include chemical and nuclear dispersion forecasts to both the guidance Allocation Tasking (GAT) cell (Brig Gen Glosson) and Lt Gen Homer.

4 2.3. (U) ARCENT Support. During Operation DESERT SHIELD, ARCENT support included a dally briefing to Lt Gen Yeosock, plus other staff support, as required. The daily staff support briefing order was: A 12-hour forecast - weather map of the AOR, a 0- to 24-hour language forecast of the AOR, a weather effects matrix (red-yellow-green forecast) for the KTO based on thresholds shown in Atch 1, and a 24-hour light data forecast. The most notable nonroutine staff support came in the form of a detailed climatological analysis of the entire KTO provided to the 513th Military Intelligence Brlgade, who incorporated the support into a detailed intelligence preparation of battlefield used to plan the ground war.

4.2.4. (U) SPECIAL OPERATIONS COMMAND CENTRAL (SOCCENT) SUPPORT. Weather support to the SOCCENT staff during Operation DESERT SHIELD consisted of briefings presented during the operations center change-over at 0630L and 1830L daily. The weather briefings consisted of a horizontal weather depiction chart, percent illumination data, and forecasts for SOCCENT bases of interest for the next 24 hours. Climatology forecasts were provided through the prewar phase and concentrated on percent of specific event occurrences, such as ceilings and visibility's below 5,000 feet/5 mile visibility. Beginning in Aug 90, nuclear biological-chemical support was provided from the AFGWC Chemical Downwind Message. The Air Force Special Operations (AFSOC) commander and staff also received twice daily weather briefings at 0630L and 1830L. These briefings provided a look at the overall horizontal weather depiction, forecasts for AFSOC areas of interest in Iraq and KTO, and local weather conditions to include IREPS and sea state conditions at various locations.

5. (U) DESERT STORM WEATHER SUPPORT AND FORECAST ACCURACY. Fig. 3 covers the planning and execution functions at HQ CENTCOM and each component level supported by Air Force weather personnel during the war. Italicized elements in each box represent the principal weather support products. In general, the extent and number of forecast requests grew during the early portion of the air war. A more detailed description of individual component support follows, and when applicable we present verification of the forecast accuracy of selected products.
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