1. THE WINDSOCK
April 2012
Fleet Weather Center, San Diego Newsletter
CONGRATULATIONS AGC Stratton UPCOMING EVENTS
AGC Stratton recently
qualified as Flag Surface
April
watch Officer(FSWO)on board
USS CARL VINSON. The FSWO 01 CPO Birthday
is one of the Tactical Flag
06 Whites Inspection
Command Center(TFCC)
watch stations responsible to 08 Easter
the Battle Watch Captain in 10 All hands
maintaining CCSG1's
13 Family Day/Spring Fling
situational awareness of
surface and subsurface 15 TAXES Due
activities. Chief Stratton's 22 Earth Day
ability to commit to the
23-27 Spring PFA BCA
qualification and watch are
directly attributable to the 30-03 Spring PFA
outstanding performance of
his LPO AG1 Staten and the
whole VINSON METOC team.
COMMANDING OFFICER COLUMN
Happy April! Here comes baseball season, and what will be a very busy Spring for the FWC-SD Team. Hopefully the Padres will
give us and Professionalism! year than last year. No matter, it’s still always a lot of fun to go to a game downtown at Petco
Pride more to cheer about this
Park!
Naval History: 1 APR 1893 - Navy General Order 409 establishes the rate of Chief Petty Officer! Happy Birthday CPO’s!
Other April highlights:
1APR – Summer Uniform shift
10APR – Monthly All Hands
13APR – FWC Family Day / Spring Fling
15APR – INCOME TAXES!
23-27APR – BCA for Spring PFA
Additionally, throughout the month there are several more reenlistments planned. In March we had a good number,
and in interesting venues on the USS MIDWAY and San Diego Zoo. I’m very proud of the quality professionals we have here at
the command. Please support and congratulate your teammates on the occasion of their reenlistment. We are an all-
volunteer force that makes up the greatest Navy the world has ever known - It’s a big deal!
Congratulations to our newly-elected MWR Committee Members: President – AG1 Campbell, VP – AG2 Greer,
Treasurer – AG3 Pauley, and Secretary – AGAN Poling. They will take the reins from IT1 Nunez, AG2 Bell, AG2 Mesic, and AG3
Wilbur – who have done a tremendous job on behalf of the entire Fleet Weather Center Family. They will use our upcoming
annual Spring Fling on 13 APR as a turnover event.
Speaking of Friday 13 APR and our MWR Team, we will be holding a command Family Day/Open House in the morning prior to
the Spring Fling. I realize we can’t satisfy everyone’s desires in timing this event with the various School Districts’ Spring Breaks,
but I hope everyone who can will be able to bring their families to the command and have the opportunity to showcase our
important role in safety and decision support to the Fleet, and educate your loved ones on your contributions; then continue
the day of fun and games with friends and families at the Spring Fling. I’m looking forward to meeting as many of your families
as possible.
As I mentioned, starting in April and throughout the spring we have a lot going on heaped on top of our daily routine.
Many conferences and planning venues, such as the 3 rd Fleet METOC Conference, the Pacific Tropical Cyclone Conference in
Japan, the RIMPAC Final Planning Conference in Hawaii, Detachment visits, preparation for our upcoming Command
Inspection; as well as the kickoff of the construction phase of our building renovation, and many more projects associated with
the mission growth and evolution of our new command. Through it all, I know we have a team of true professionals who will
remain focused on the core mission of Fleet safety on a daily basis. At the same time, please remember the many members of
our Team who are on extended deployments away from home and families – time for another round of care packages for
those downrange from SGOT Department!
Have a great April! Stay safe, make good choices, respect and take care of each other!
Thank you all for the hard work, sacrifice, dedication, and patriotism you represent every day, and for the professionalism and
technical excellence you provide in the execution of our mission to support our nation’s interests and warfighters. Every one of
you makes a positive difference. Don’t take for granted what you are all a part of.
Pride and Professionalism!
Page 1 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume II, Issue 3 ● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271

2. CMC SOAPBOX
Greetings Shipmates and Co-Workers,
As with the past few months, things have been very busy and this month has not let up. As I type this column the XO and I are
at 38,000 feet flying over the Atlantic Ocean enroute to Bahrain to visit our Maritime Component. We will meet with our Sailors,
take a few briefs with NAVCENT, and attend a reenlistment.
After a brief stop at home for 42 hours, I will be off to the Far East with LCDR Keefer to attend the Typhoon Conference in
Tokyo. After the Conference, the XO will meet me in Atsugi to brief our Aviation Detachment and meet with Base leadership.
Then, XO and I will head to Yokosuka to tour NOAC facilities on the "Weather Hill" and visit some of the Staffs there.
Travels continue in early May for a Change of Command at JTWC in Pearl Harbor. That will be a great opportunity to visit our
Aviation Detachment co-located with the 17th OWS at Hickham AFB. If our Strike Group Detachment is feeling neglected you
need not fear the new Skipper and I will visit in mid July for another Change of Charge Ceremony.
Family Day and the Spring Fling are soon to be upon us on April 13th and I want to beat the CO and XO in fundraising to get
me in the dunk tank. Then again maybe a dark horse candidate like CDR Horne or LT Spilker will win?
I know the date is not best for most School Districts but with all the previously mentioned travel, real world operations,
availability of a venue to hold the Spring Fling we did not want miss this important event before we start gearing up for the
Command Inspection in June and the Change of Command in July.
Very Respectfully, AGCM Matt White. - 10lbsS5lbsB
WHAT IS WIDA??
Fleet Weather Center Strike Detachment Fallon (FWC STK Det Fallon) recently
partnered with the Desert Research Institute (DRI) to host this year’s Weather
Impacts Decision Aids (WIDA) workshop. The workshop took place 13-15 March
2012 at the Peppermill Resort in Reno Nevada.
LCDR Keith Everett, FWC STK Det, and Dr. Darko Koracin, DRI, co-hosted the
workshop for the WIDA committee which represents the Naval Research
Laboratory, Army Research Laboratory, Air Force Research Laboratory and
SPAWAR.
The 2012 WIDA Workshop was an occasion for operational users and technical
developers of environmental Tactical Decision Aids (TDAs) to exchange
information about requirements and advances in the area of weather support for
the operation of electromagnetic systems. The emphasis was on workshops, with
active participation by attendees. Presenters reviewed the advances and
changes from last year and discussions focused on thoughts for
the future. In particular, this year’s theme "TDAs for Unmanned
and Autonomous Vehicles” was highlighted by most of the
presentations as well as advances made toward the goal of
integrating tactical user’s and program developer’s
requirements.
The fifty attendees represented DRI and all branches of the
US military plus Meteo France, the UK Met Office, the Canadian
Defense Forces and the Netherlands Defense Force with most
services providing both active duty military and civilian
developer attendees. The UAV/UAS/RPA theme was highlighted by the keynote speaker, MSgt Stephen Williams USAF, who
developed the weather program for the Global Hawk RPA as well as Predator RPA Pilot LtCol Brian DeCicco USAF and Predator
forecaster MSgt Daniel Borchert USAF. Another highlight was a site visit to DRI which included a demonstration of the Center for
Advanced Visualization, Computation and Modeling (CAVCaM) immersive 3D visual simulation room and viewing 14,000 year old
Antarctic ice cores melting for analysis. TOP: WIDA Attendees Visit DRI.
WIDA will be held next in 2014 and hosted by the USAF. The agenda BOTTOM LEFT: left to right - Dr. Darko Koracin, Dr. Jinhua Jiang and Dr.
Johann Engelbrecht all from DRI
and all the presentations for WIDA 2012 are available for download
BOTTOM RIGHT: left to right - Dr. Anthony Bucholtz (NRL MRY), Dr. Warren
from the WIDA 2012 website: wida.dri.edu Lewis (UKMO) and Dr. Susan Frankenstein (CRREL)
OMBUDSMAN CORNER
The Navy recognizes that moving every few years creates career challenges for military spouses, especially being stationed overseas
or in remote areas.
The Family Employment Readiness Program (FERP) addresses those challenges in workshops that include launching a job search,
career planning, resume writing, interview techniques, federal employment information, conducting self-assessments, goal setting and
vocational tests.
The goal of the Family Employment Readiness Program is to help you learn how to get a job and maintain a career as a military family
member. FERP provides a variety of services to assist the transitioning military spouse, including libraries, computer tutorial programs and
employment opportunities within the local community. CNMOC Facebook Website
You'll find assistance when exploring careers, beginning your search, http://www.facebook.com/NavalOceanography
resume writing, interviews, federal employment, and self employment.
1 Call Serves All! 24/7 Appointment Scheduling for: clinical counseling, FWC-SD Ombudsman: Victoria Mitchell (619)-207-
relocation assistance, resume assistance, and financial consultations at any 9634 & Teri Garza (619)-207-9510
Navy Region Southwest FFSC call 1-866-923-6478. fwcsdombudsman@gmail.com
Page 2 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume II, Issue 3● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271

3. DEPARTMENT FOCUS: FWC MARITIME COMPONENT BAHRAIN
At Fleet Weather Center Maritime Component Bahrain, we are the weather authority of the Fifth Fleet Area of Responsibility. On a
daily basis, we provide timely weather products to key decision-makers in all branches of the armed forces. The component itself
consists of five forecasters and five qualified technicians. Our weather support includes the daily Commander's Update Brief,
Combined Maritime Forces brief, Operations/Intelligence update briefs, issuances of weather watches and local warnings within
Bahrain, along with various other support products across the AOR. Our mission here is to provide full spectrum METOC support to
CUSNC and the fleet units operating in the AOR. As weather professionals, whether we are forecasting from the watch floor or at
sea, we always remain vigilant and never take what we do and why we're here for granted. We're here to answer questions,
provide the reachback support and education to the operator, and discuss any product available by the METOC community.
By AGAN Jessica Tang, from Cupertino, CA
Page 2
TEAMMATE IN THE SPOTLIGHT: AGAN ATKINSON
Andrew (Andy) Michael Atkinson was born a USMC brat in PA
on September 22 1990, so the service to country is in his blood.
He's even lived in Iceland as a child! As an Airman, his talents
range from operational level brief production, to keeping in
shape, to solving a 3x3x3 rubix cube in about 40 seconds and
a 5x5x5 cube in about 15 minutes! He joined the military
because he liked the respect that has always been given to
his father, and he wanted to make something of himself. His
goals are to go to sea, live in San Diego, and to leave his mark
on FWC Maritime Component Bahrain with his hard work and
dedication. Ultimately he sees himself as a Special Warfare
type, and he's enjoyed the camaraderie that the Navy has
shown him.
The overall mission of CSADD (Coalition of Sailors Against Destructive Decisions) is to
CSADD IS AT IT AGAIN!!! "Create a culture in which our Shipmates are helping Shipmates maintain a course
of success through good decision making." In an effort to keep in standing with our
overall mission, CSADD has dedicated numerous hours to Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity is an organization that has helped build over 500,000 livable,
affordable housing and has assisted over 2.5 million people worldwide. The
particular home Fleet Weather Center CSADD participated at was located in El
Cajon, CA. Due to the economy, the previous owners couldn't afford the mortgage
and the house was foreclosed upon. Habitat bought the home and is currently
working with almost all volunteer labor to rejuvenate the home to ultimately sell to a
low-income family with a 30 year, no interest mortgage.
FWC CSADD arrived as the demolition stage was coming to an end. They assisted in
digging up and leveling out dirt so water would drain away from the home instead
of toward, which had been a re-occurring problem in the past. The sailors also
assisted in removing plaster from the walls that were to eventually be replaced by
sheetrock. It was a day full of quality labor and as AG3 David Briscoe said, "Ending
the day with dirty jeans and a huge pile of rocks that I helped dig up, feels like such
a great accomplishment!" Dana Douty was the supervisor for the build and he was
contracted to almost literally "gut" the house and rebuild. He was very enthusiastic
about teaching his volunteers various tasks because, "it helps them learn how to do
fix-it tasks in their own home." CSADD is a program that allows for sailors to explore
the San Diego area as well as contributing volunteer hours to help the community.
Fleet Weather Center CSADD has made it their personal mission to create cohesion
within the command.
"With all the separate
departments, CSADD
has coordinated events whether it be just for fun or volunteering in
which the command can get together as a whole and have a lot of
fun," stated AG1(IDW/SW/EXW) Richard Suggs.
Future events CSADD is working on coordinating are Second Chance
Dog Rescue, Sea World, K1 Racing and Paintball. Keep your eyes
peeled for more info soon!
TOP LEFT: CDR David Ford assists in removing plaster from the walls of
the home.
BOTTOM LEFT: IT1 Frank Nunez and AG1 Richard Suggs leveling out dirt
to help with water drainage around the house
RIGHT: AG3 Leigh Pauley, AG1 Richard Suggs, CDR David Ford, AG3
David Briscoe, IT1 Frank Nunez take a break from all the hard
demolition.
Page 3 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume II, Issue 3● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271

4. FWC-SD ON BOARD THE USCGC SHERMAN
On22nd March 2012, three sailors; Petty Officer Ulmer, Airman Launstein, and
Airman Marquez from Fleet Weather Center San Diego (FWC-SD), embarked on a
journey of epic proportions onboard the USCGC Sherman (WHEC-720 ) to
participate in the initial phase of the Shakedown cruise. Not knowing what lay
ahead, they accepted...and what they saw changed their world.
FWC-SD personnel took advantage of being onboard a non US Navy ship. For
Airmen Launstein and Marquez it was their first time experiencing being at sea and
watching the Sea and Anchor detail cast the ship off from the pier. While
navigating through the channel, the Sailors got to see operations on the bridge as
well as on the deckplates. The hospitality was overwhelming, from the Captain
welcoming them in front of the entire crew at quarters to ENS Larson who
personally took care of them during the entire visit.
“It was definitely an experience I'll never forget. Riding the RHIB was my favorite
part of the adventure and I find myself lucky to have been chosen to be a part of
it. I really enjoyed speaking with my shipmates in the Coast Guard and seeing what they really do. I hope when I become a
qualified forecaster I'll be able to once again accompany them.” – AGAA Tessa Marquez
The FWC-SD Sailors took a tour of the engineering main space where they learned what powered the ship, Combat Information
Center (CIC) were they saw how weather and the ships mission came into play, on the bridge they learned how the ship steers
through the water and the difference between speed over ground and speed over water. From watching a dummy float in the
California Bight during a man overboard drill, to being on the small inflatable boat (RHIB) at speeds up to 38 knots became all
more memorable because they saw firsthand how the products produced at FWC-SD impact the crew of the SHERMAN.
“My experience on the USCGC SHERMAN was something that I will never forget. The time and effort that the coast guard crew,
especially ENS Larsen, who greeted us with an unbelievable amount of enthusiasm, assured us that we were appreciated among
the crew for the work FWC-SD did for them on past missions. In all, it was a great success for myself personally and something that
could potentially aid us in our mission at FWC-SD.” – AGAN Matthew Launstein
“The fun began when I pulled onto the pier and saw the ship up close. 18 years in the
Navy I have never been onboard a Coast Guard ship. Just to see how similar or dissimilar
the Coast Guard and the Navy operates kept the excitement the whole time. I guess
you can say that I miss the sea no matter what take me out there.” – AG1 Jeffery Ulmer
As we know all things must come to an end either good or bad, it’s what we take
from those experiences to make us better in the things that we do. Even though the
FWC-SD Sailors got the last HOORAH in a RHIB racing back to Point Loma, they took with
them an experience they will never come to forget. ~Article By AG1 Ulmer
TOP: AGAN Matthew Launstein on the NEWS FROM THE FRONTIER
forecastle as the ship begins the final leg FWC AVN Det Pearl Harbor:
seaward.
-Each month, workout enthusiasts spend money on
BOTTOM: AG1 Ulmer, AGAN Launstein,
gym memberships to gain access to classic fitness
and AGAN Marquez return aboard a
USCG RHIB. machines such as the StairMaster. In Hawaii, Koko
Head Crater provides a more natural leg and core
muscle workout that becomes a test of endurance
AWARDS AND RECOGNITION for most of the hikers who take it on. FWCAD
Pearl Harbor's finest took on this hike known as the
NCM EIDWS Koko Head Trail. Its approximately 0.7 miles long
AG1 Sullivan AG2 Thompson and 1,208ft high. There are 1048 stairs that are the
AG2 Tupa remains of an old World War II railroad track that
NAM AG1 Rico make up the trail and the further you go the
AG1 Flores AGC Lormand steeper the incline. Once you reach the top the
AG2 Tupa AGC Dee reward is an amazing breeze and breathtaking
AG2 Steward AG2 Stone sights of Honolulu, Diamond Head, and Hawaii Kai.
AG2 Kelly AGC Jackson Being that this was AG1 Griffith's and AG1 Roe's first
TOP: (Left) AG1 Roe and (Right)
AG2 Stone AG3 Donelson time, a great sense of accomplishment was also AG1 Griffith take a breather.
AG3 Edholm AG1 Cady achieved that day.
FWC AVN Det Atsugi:
- NFWD Atsugi hosted field trip walk through for Pre-School children 16 March.
AGC Deshotel conducted Sexual Assault training to 3 Indoc Classes for NAF Atsugi.
CDR Mike Kuypers FWC Strike Det Fallon:
- We welcome the return of AGC Harold Kuykendall from a successful deployment on
Executive Officer USS STENNIS.
-Fair winds and following seas to AG2 Glen Soucie who is now at home in
Massachusetts job hunting.
Page 4 THE WINDSOCK ● Volume II, Issue 3● Fleet Weather Center San Diego ● (619) 767-1271