18th OSS Weather Airmen Take Flight Rain Or Shine
by U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Jamal Berry II
January 29, 2026

For most people ... weather is a matter of convenience ... what to wear, whether to drive, if an umbrella is worth carrying. For the Airmen of the 18th Operations Support Squadron (OSS) Weather Flight, weather means something else entirely... mission success or failure ... aircraft safety or risk ... life or loss.

In January 2026, members of the 18th OSS Weather Flight teamed up with the 33rd Rescue Squadron to install a new weather sensor tower on Whiskey-174, a small island near Okinawa. The project was designed, not only to improve data coverage, but to test how quickly Kadena’s weather Airmen can deploy and establish forecasting capability in austere conditions.

“The mission is dual purpose,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Rivera, 18th OSS missions noncommissioned officer in charge. “It closes a data gap, but more importantly, it shows how fast we can get a sensor online in a contingency environment.”

The new sensors represent a major leap forward. Older models were large, costly, and slow to set up. The updated system costs a fraction of the price, can be operational in minutes, and is durable enough to endure Okinawa’s challenging weather.

“Because they’re smaller, these new systems are easier to maintain and replace,” said Rivera. “Even building an entire new tower is faster than installing one of the old models.”

That ability to move fast matters across the Pacific. Kadena’s weather flight supports an area of responsibility that stretches from the Sea of Japan to the South China Sea ... thousands of miles of airspace where storms, typhoons, and shifting winds can change the outcome of a mission in minutes.

“Every sortie, every rescue, every movement across the Indo-Pacific starts with weather,” said Staff Sgt. Kirsten Manning-Sanson, 18th OSS weather forecaster. “Our data informs commanders’ decisions before the first engine starts. When conditions change suddenly, we adjust instantly so aircrews can operate safely and effectively.”

In emergencies, that responsiveness becomes vital. Manning-Sanson explained that when time is critical, weather forecasters can brief aircrews in real time, giving them the situational awareness they need to act decisively.

The 18th OSS Weather Flight’s mission extends far beyond Kadena’s flight line. Their forecasts support U.S. and allied aircraft across the region and are shared publicly to aid civilian airlines operating in the same airspace.

“Hundreds of flights depend on the information we generate,” said 2nd Lt. Dominic Checchia, 18th OSS wing weather officer. “When you’re flying across vast distances with unpredictable weather, reliable data gives planners and crews confidence to operate where others can’t.”

In a theater defined by distance and unpredictability, that reliability underpins deterrence. Whether tracking typhoons, supporting disaster relief, or briefing combat sorties, Kadena’s weather professionals provide the environmental intelligence that keeps joint and allied forces postured, precise, and ready. “The environment is one factor no one can control,” said Checchia. “Our job is to understand it so our forces never have to guess.”

The new tower at Whiskey-174 stands as more than an instrument of measurement: it represents the speed, adaptability, and technical precision that define the 18th OSS Weather Flight.

Every mission begins with weather. And at Kadena, that means no one is flying blind, Airman or otherwise.

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