DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS …

1 DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS united states AIR FORCE WASHINGTON DC AFI15-127_AFGM2018-01 15 May 2018 MEMORANDUM FOR DISTRIBUTION C MAJCOMs/FOAs/DRUs FROM: HQ USAF/A3 1630 Air FORCE Pentagon Washington DC 20330-1630 SUBJECT: Air FORCE Guidance Memorandum AFI 15-127, Weather Training By Order of the Secretary of the Air FORCE , this Guidance Memorandum immediately implements changes to AFI 15-127, Weather Training. Compliance with this Memorandum is mandatory. To the extent directions are inconsistent with other Air FORCE publications, the information herein prevails according to AFI 33-360, Publications and Forms Management. In advance of a rewrite of AFI 15-127, the attachment to this memorandum provides guidance changes that are effective immediately. An asterisk (*) indicates newly revised material.

2 This guidance memorandum clarifies timelines for Reserve Component attendance to the Army Weather Support Course and Evasion and Conduct after Capture courses and other training timelines. It also clarifies qualification standards for issuance of aviation forecast products for use in the National Airspace System according to exceptions filed to Annex 3 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation. This memorandum becomes void after one year has elapsed from the date of this memorandum, or upon rewrite of the affected publication, whichever is earlier. MARK C. NOWLAND, Lt Gen, USAF Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations Attachment: Guidance Changes AFI15-127_AFGM2018-01 ATTACHMENT Guidance Changes The below changes to AFI 15-127, dated 20 January 2016, through Interim Change 1, dated 30 September 2016, are effectively immediately.

3 *(Replace) Ensure a full review of each member s training records within 10 duty days after receiving a deployment tasking to determine if they are certified MR/CMR against the tasked UTC. As required, ensure weather personnel who are not current on any UTC tasks through either the length of the deployment, or at least 179 days after required delivery date, complete any unmet requirements prior to deployment. Waiver authority is the gaining service component. (T-2). *(Replace) DELETED. *(Replace) All weather personnel will recertify against position qualification requirements annually. (T-1). NOTE: Reserve Component personnel on active duty status assigned to an active duty unit will comply with active component initial qualification and recertification requirements, as applicable. *(Replace) Enlisted weather personnel who have earned their 5-level can be task-certified to issue aviation forecast products that apply to the and its territories according to the filed difference in the Federal Aeronautical Information Publication to Annex 3 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation.

4 *(Replace) All weather personnel will complete initial position QT within 120 days of their training start date (240 days for ISC graduates to account for the initial 120 days allotted for the mandatory distance learning blocks). (T-2). Exception: Reserve Component personnel not on active duty will complete initial position QT within one year of the first duty day at home station after graduation from ISC. (T-2). Note: The time allotments above apply to a member s primary duty position qualification that includes CFETP-identified core tasks and results in an Airman who is qualified to work their primary position independently. Where multiple duty positions exist, commanders will develop internal timelines to qualify members in additional positions. (T-2). *(Replace) Mission Readiness (MR)/Combat Mission Readiness (CMR) Training. MR/CMR training is designed to ensure weather personnel achieve MR/CMR status to perform UTC-specific weather operations in support of their assigned organization s wartime and Air and Space Expeditionary FORCE (AEF) taskings, as applicable.

5 Active Component military weather personnel must meet all applicable MR/CMR training requirements for their associated UTC within 180 days of their position qualification training start date, or the end of the pre-deployment window of an individual s first deployment eligibility period, whichever is earliest. (T-1). Reserve Component military weather personnel must meet all applicable MR/CMR training requirements for their associated UTC within one year of their position qualification training start date. (T-1). Exception: Some wartime task training reliant on 3 outside organizations ( , weapons qualification at AF installations) may not be available until tasked. *(Replace) Individuals who have completed all required tasks ( , mandatory distance learning blocks, position qualification, Career Development Courses and required UTC tasks) and are only awaiting time in-grade and/or time-in-training requirement(s) for upgrade to the 5-Skill Level may attain MR/CMR status upon squadron commander (or equivalent) approval.

6 (T-3). *(Replace) Weather personnel must be trained and certified on all mandatory AFSC core and UTC tasks as identified in the CFETP (T-1), against any weapon-system specific UTC ( , 7E-, 7FV-, or 3F-series UTCs), or local requirements defined in the MTP. (T-3). *(Replace) DELETED. *(Add New) Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officers occupying X-prefixed positions will mission-qualify and certify on crew positions as outlined in AFI 11-2C-130J, Volume 2, C-130J Aircrew Evaluation Criteria. (T-3). *(Replace) Expeditionary Weather Equipment. Personnel deploying to expeditionary locations with unique equipment training requirements not available at home station (and not met through an AF formal course/training) are task-certified at the equipment location under direction of the deployed commander according to AFI 36-2201. 2d Combat Weather Systems Squadron may assist in training development, primarily for expeditionary weather radar and weather observing systems.

7 UTC mission capability statements will identify if specific equipment training on AF standard systems is required by FY20. (T-1). *(Replace) DELETED. *(Replace) DELETED. *(Replace) DELETED. *(Replace) Aerodrome Forecasts. Personnel at units that generate terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs) and units at locations for which OWSs generate TAFs will practice this process semi-annually. (T-1). Participation in a Continuity of Operations Plan exercise counts towards this requirement. *(Replace) Warning and Advisory Process. Personnel at units that generate weather warnings and advisories and units at locations for which OWSs generate weather warnings and advisories will practice this process semi-annually. (T-1). Participation in a Continuity of Operations Plan exercise counts towards this requirement if a warning or advisory product was issued.

8 *(Replace) Manual Weather Observing. Personnel at units responsible for producing weather observations will practice this process semi-annually. (T-1). All others units will accomplish this annually. (T-1). Training will include, at a minimum, observing using assigned/available tactical sensors in addition to observing techniques for manual cloud height, amount and ceiling determination, manual determination of prevailing, variable prevailing and 4 sector visibility using both day and night markers, observing local phenomena ( , sea fog, blowing dust), severe weather, descriptive remarks use including identification of significant cloudy types, encoding, and dissemination of the observation. (T-1). For manual observing methods and procedures refer to AFMAN 15-111, Surface Weather Observations. *(Replace) Supported Missions. Semi-annual review of supported missions ( , mission profiles, tactics, planning/execution cycle, sensitivities of weapon systems/platforms, mitigation/exploitation of meteorological conditions).

9 (T-1). *(Replace) Weather Analysis and Prediction with Limited Data. Units with Airmen postured against expeditionary weather UTCs will include semi-annual training on weather analysis and prediction under conditions with limited data using the material on the Weather Operations section of the ADLS Gateway for this training, focusing on seasonal and area-specific techniques. (T-2). Attachment 1 GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION References *(Add New) Annex 3 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation, 19th Edition, July 2016 *(Add New) Aeronautical Information Publication, Unites states of America, Twenty-fourth Edition, Federal Aviation Administration, Amendment 1, 27 April 2017 *(Replace) AFPD 36-26, Total FORCE Development, 22 December 2015 *(Delete) AFI 10-401, Air FORCE Operations Planning and Execution, 7 December 2006 *(Add New) AFI 11-2C-130J, Volume 2, C-130J Aircrew Evaluation Criteria, 22 November 2005.

10 *(Replace) AR 115-10/AFI 15-157 (IP), Weather Support and Services for the Army, 24 February 2017 *(Replace) AFI 31-117, Arming and Use of FORCE by Air FORCE Personnel, 2 February 2016 *(Replace) AFI 36-3017, Special Duty Assignment Pay (SDAP) Program, 8 January 2016 *(Delete) CJCSI , Meteorological and Oceanographic Operations, 28 June 2013 *(Replace) JP 3-59, Meteorological and Oceanographic Operations, 10 January 2018 *(Replace) Soldier s Training Publication 21-1-SMCT, Warrior Skills, Level 1, 28 September 2017 *(Delete) Soldier s Training Publication 21-1-SMCT, Warrior Skills, Level 1, 14 Apr 2014 Abbreviations and Acronyms *(Delete) CWSS Combat Weather Systems Squadron BY ORDER OF THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE AIR FORCE INSTRUCTION 15-127 20 JANUARY 2016 Incorporating Change 1, 30 SEPTEMBER 2016 Weather WEATHER TRAINING COMPLIANCE WITH THIS PUBLICATION IS MANDATORY ACCESSIBILITY: This publication is available digitally on the e-Publishing website at for downloading or ordering RELEASABILITY: There are no releasability restrictions on this publication OPR: HQ USAF/A3WP Supersedes: AFI 15-127, 14 March 2012 Certified by: HQ USAF/A3W (Mr.)