The Air Force Weather Agency will redesignate as the 557th Weather Wing, becoming the service’s largest meteorological organization at Offutt AFB, Neb., effective March 27, officials announced. “This transition to an operational wing will allow us to be more ops-focused and responsive to the Air Force, Army, and Joint warfighters needs,” said AFWA Commander Col. William Carle in a release. The 557th WW will retain the former agency’s subordinate 1st Weather Group and 2nd WG and a restructured headquarters, reporting directly to 12th Air Force under Air Combat Command. The unit will grow to 1,700 airmen, retaining AFWA’s emblem with the addition of the Latin blazon, “Coelum Ad Prelium Elige”—choose the weather for battle—harkening back to the Air Weather Service. AWS at Scott AFB, Ill., became the AFWA when it merged with the AF Global Weather Center at Offutt in 1997, according to the report.
Control of the skies in Operation Epic Fury is enabling the Pentagon to rely more on satellite- and laser-guided bombs, throttle back on expensive long-range standoff munitions, and move to a new phase of air war, defense officials said on March 4. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen.…