No matter the conditions, no matter the holiday, no matter the location, Campbell Army Airfield has a 24/7 manned weather operation responsible for readouts and analysis protecting the citizens and assets not only of Fort Campbell — but all zones of interest for the 101st Airborne Division Air Assault.
And these tasks lie squarely on the shoulders of the men and women in the U.S. Air Force’s Detachment 4, 18th Combat Weather Squadron.
First Lieutenant Donovan Pranzoni, in charge of those within the detachment assigned to 101st CAB, is in position to deliver and ensure weather support for missions both stateside and deployed, while integrating as a liaison between brigades and divisions.
The multi-tasking, at times, can be high-octane.
Furthermore, Pranzoni said he and staff have to be prepared at all times not only to produce forecasting, but also to convert observed local times back to Coordinated Universal Time, better known as “UTC” or “Zulu,” and vice versa — in order to effectively alert necessary parties.
This relationship, he said, requires a dual, difficult understanding of both the Army and Air Force command chain — bringing the weather application to all missions.
This certainly includes the often-issued “Lethal Eagle” protocols in northwest Tennessee and south western Kentucky — when the division has its field efficiency and acumen tested at the highest.
Pranzoni called these times necessary for “all hands on deck.”
Weather, he said, might be gray, but conditions for flying and troop movement only fall under three categories: green means “go,” yellow means “maybe,” and red means “no.”
But he noted even a yellow weather assessment can be unclear at times, and that most missions need a “go” versus “no go” window, and face rescheduling otherwise.
Compared to the National Weather Service, Apple Weather and other common civilian assessments, the 18th hones in on a “THF,” or a “thirty-hour forecast,” while generating a rolling five-day breakdown, a mission execution forecast, and another one altogether for just the 10 nautical miles around Fort Campbell proper.
Even deeper, Pranzoni said each aircraft has unique weather thresholds which must be observed and met.
Several links regarding 101st Airborne weather analysis:
Det. 4, 18th Combat Weather Squadron – (includes 5-day and other information they produce): https://home.army.mil/campbell/units-tenants/Tenants/weather-squadron
Weather Alerts: https://home.army.mil/campbell/about/weather-alerts
ALERT! Notification System: (automated system that sends texts, emails, and calls) https://home.army.mil/campbell/about/faq/alert
Outdoor Sirens: https://home.army.mil/campbell/about/faq/outdoor-sirens
Dec. 9, 2023 Tornado: https://home.army.mil/campbell/dec-9-2023-tornado
