Brian Hill

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (Nov. 16, 2020) — Fort Leonard Wood’s weather team placed first out of nine 3rd Combat Weather Squadron teams and eighth overall — out of 80 teams — in the 2020 Air Force Thor’s Legion Forecast Challenge.

According to Forney Airfield’s Lead Meteorological Technician Clint Dobry, Air Force weather experts worldwide compete “to see who’s the best at forecasting weather.”

“It’s just meat and potatoes — we try to do our best to predict what’s going to happen before it happens,” he said.

The format for this year’s competition had all 80 teams attempting to produce the most accurate forecast for locations in Bulgaria, Estonia and Norway.

“We were trying to give them a 24-hour outlook of what to expect if they were to, say, be doing missions in that location,” said Chris Reddington, one of three meteorological technicians here. “It was a great team effort, and I think for as small a unit as we are, it was amazing what we did. Some of the units we were competing against have as many as 40 forecasters.”

Dobry said the team used forecast models, satellite pictures, current observations and information from weather balloons in the area.

“We try to interrogate that data,” he said. “There’s skill involved, but it’s an art form as well.”

Reddington said the three technicians here have a combined 70-plus years of experience in meteorology, which came in handy when forecasting far-away locations.

“I briefly spent time as a weather observer in Europe,” he said.

The top 10 overall winners were announced Oct. 29 in a memo from Air Force Col. Gary Kubat, acting Director of Weather and Air Force Deputy to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Dobry said the 3rd CWS winners typically get temporary access to their commander’s parking spot, but seeing that it’s at Fort Hood, Texas, they’re going to pass on it.

“We’re not going to drive all the way down there for that,” he said.

Meteorological Technician Chris Reddington reviews a weather report Monday at Forney Airfield. On Oct. 29, the three-person weather team here placed first out of nine 3rd Combat Weather Squadron teams and eighth overall — out of 80 teams — in the 2020 Air Force Thor’s Legion Forecast Challenge. (Photo by Brian Hill)

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission