From Operator to Intellect: A Military Meteorologist

As a 20 year Active duty Weather and Environmental Sciences Officers my career has spanned nearly the full spectrum of military operations and as such charting my journey provides keen insight to the range of opportunities provided to those who choose the military as a career path in Atmospheric Sciences.

I have spanned experiences at operational weather squadrons, flight command and Army Detachment Command, from Aviation elements to Corps and Theater Level, and Air Force Operations Centers for Combatant Theater Commanders. Deployments cover doing support to POTUS operation in Libera, establishing warm basing in Romania, the 2009 Afghanistan Surge and establishing operating locations for Operation Atlantic Resolve in Eastern Europe. As Army Airborne I have jumped alongside other nations paratroopers as well as into Normandy and became the first female Jumpmaster for our career field. Work included not just Air Force support but Navy and Army as well and with other nations METOC.

Outside of operations I also obtained both Masters’ and PhDs in Atmospheric Science while in active duty and transitioned from a military operator and leader to a professorship, researcher, and advanced degree advisor and facilitator for junior officers. I now advise and teach masters students working to bridge the gap between research to operations using all the previous knowledge and experiences. In this role I have led the transition of the Basic Meteorology Program to a permanency residency at the Air Force Institute of technology, overseeing and creating program curriculum development in accordance with WMO BIP-M and OPM 1340 standards. We now provide instruction to 1/3 of the Air Forces weather accessions. This program is the on ramp to the atmospheric sciences career in the Air Force for those who do not have bachelor’s degrees in meteorology. On the research side, I continue to work with remote sensing creating synthetic nighttime visible imagery to aid forecasters and satellite analysists. From advising pilots on safe weather parameters and go-no go weather briefs for combat, to 4-star generals on island evacuations in the face of tropical cyclones, and now growing future meteorologists for the Air Force my career has taken many twists and turn and never was I on a “traditional path”

As such I am well versed to present on career transitioning within the military from operations into academics, uncommon career paths within government meteorology, future opportunities for government meteorologists, or the realities of success and challenges faced as forecasters and educators for the DoD. While this may not be a tradition abstract submission as far as research, results and impacts; many of the topics presented for this symposium lend themselves more to either following a member’s career, them providing information on programs that they can offer, or being a panelist for Q&A. I believe my experiences provide a unique perspective to the symposium that will be greatly appreciated if given the opportunity to participate in any of the above mentioned sessions.