REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. -- Predicting the weather for one locale can be a daunting task, but an Air Force officer here is getting high accolades for calling conditions worldwide.
Air Force Capt. James D. Melton, a meteorologist assigned to Headquarters Army Materiel Command, was recently named the 2014 Company Grade Officer of the Year for Air Combat Command's Directorate of Air and Space Operations. His win pushes him forward to compete for honors at a higher level.
Melton's weather forecasts span the globe, stretching to the 144 countries where AMC has a footprint. His predictions give commanders the guidance they need when it comes to moving troops and equipment by air, ground or sea.
"I provide global support for missions and exercises anywhere in the world," Melton said. "Commanders on the ground need to understand the issues they may face."
That support has helped guide brigade relocations and the retrograde operation in Afghanistan.
Besides clouds and temperature, Melton's analysis extends to conditions on the ground, giving commanders predictability.
"For instance, I look at how the snowmelt impacts a passageway in Afghanistan," Melton said. "Commanders want to know if they can get a truck through it."
Reviewers for Melton's officer of the year award took into account his successes in 2014. Along with providing trafficability data for Afghanistan, Melton supported Operation United Assistance, European-based radar operations and Patriot missile batteries in southeastern Turkey. Melton predicted two tornadoes with 12-hours lead time and forecasted critical weather threats without a miss.
When he's not looking across the globe, Melton's attention turns to Redstone Arsenal. Here, as the Army command's only assigned airman, he has helped align the installation's weather command post to encompass some 70 organizations including NASA's Marshal Space Flight Center, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Melton's supervisor, Kristen Cahill, said the meteorologist provides critical data for the command's team. "With AMC's global mission and presence all over the country, weather can always be counted on to create unique challenges in our logistics environment," Cahill said. "Captain Melton has a pulse on every major global weather event, solidifying his role as AMC's primary source for weather information."
Melton has been forecasting the weather for the past seven years as a commissioned officer, since he transferred from the Air Force enlisted ranks where he worked as a crew chief on the B-52 bomber aircraft and later as an enlisted weatherman. He said he enjoys forecasting weather because it changes every day.
"When you work on aircraft, there's only one way of doing a job," Melton said. "Whereas in weather forecasting, there's a myriad of approaches to getting the task accomplished."
Like other meteorologists who feel the heat when they miscalculate, Melton said he has weathered his share of criticism. Even so, it's something he takes in stride. "It comes with the job," Melton said, but added modestly, "I'm rarely wrong."
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