U.S. Air Force Special Operations Weather Teams participate in a training scenario on a CH-47 Chinook during Emerald Warrior, Hurlburt Field, Fla., March 7. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Clay Lancaster. Past, present Special Operations Weather Teams shape elite career field Ronald Kellerman, Lloyd Mitchell Jr., Charles Irby, and By Senior Airman Melanie Holochwost Henry Kelley. Public Affairs These seven men laid the foundation for the SOWT career field as it is known today. The Special Operations Weather Team is one of the According to Kelley, today’s SOWTs have gone newest career fields in the Air Force, officially created just through a drastically different process than he did as a three years ago. However, this grey beret-wearing unit has member of the original team. been around since 1963, originally known as the first, there was no selection process whatsoever,” Commando Combat Weather Team stationed at Hurlburt “At Kelley said. day a colonel came up to me and said, Field, Fla. “One look like you're in pretty good shape ... take the rest To remember past and unique heritage, the Grey ‘you of the week off, you’re going to jump school on Monday.’” Beret Association was formed in May 2012 and recently named seven SOWT veterans to its hall of fame. As an airman second class, Col. (Ret) Wayne Selected for outstanding service record were Golding said he made the team because he picked a Keith Grimes, Joseph Conaty Jr., Cornelius Gray, piece of paper from a hat that read, are a “You T i p o f t h e S p e a r
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Weather Teams participate in a training scenario on a CH-47 Chinook during Emerald Warrior, Hurlburt Field, Fla., March 7. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Clay Lancaster. Past, present Special Operations Weather Teams shape elite career field By Senior Airman Melanie Holochwost Public Affairs The Special Operations Weather Team is one of the newest career fields in the Air Force, officially created just three years ago. However, this grey beret-wearing unit has been around since 1963, originally known as the Commando Combat Weather Team stationed at Hurlburt Field, Fla. To remember past and unique heritage, the Grey Beret Association was formed in May 2012 and recently named seven SOWT veterans to its hall of fame. Selected for outstanding service record were Keith Grimes, Joseph Conaty Jr., Cornelius Gray, Ronald Kellerman, Lloyd Mitchell Jr., Charles Irby, and Henry Kelley. These seven men laid the foundation for the SOWT career field as it is known today. According to Kelley, today’s SOWTs have gone through a drastically different process than he did as a member of the original team. “At first, there was no selection process whatsoever,” Kelley said. “One day a colonel came up to me and said, ‘you look like you're in pretty good shape ... take the rest of the week off, you’re going to jump school on Monday.’” As an airman second class, Col. (Ret) Wayne Golding said he made the team because he picked a piece of paper from a hat that read, “You are a T i p o f t h e S p e a r
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