| Dates: | 1942–1947; 1948–1961; by 2012–2014 |
| Role: | Weather observation and forecasting |
| Command Structure: | Air Combat Command |
| Battles: | Mediterranean Theater of Operations[1] |
| Identification Symbol Label: | 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron emblem[2] |
| Identification Symbol 2 Label: | 19th Weather Squadron emblem (approved 10 July 1959)[3] [4] |
| Identification Symbol 3 Label: | 19th Weather Squadron emblem (approved 4 May 44)[5] |
The 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron is an inactive unit of the United States Air Force. It last performed weather related duties as part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2014. It was assigned to the 504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group. The squadron was first active during World War II where it served in Africa. Following the end of the war, it was stripped of personnel and equipment, but remained on the active roll until 1947. The squadron was reactivated in 1948 and provided weather services from various bases in the midwestern United States until inactivating in 1961 .
The squadron was first organized at Bolling Field, District of Columbia at the end of June 1942. After organizing and training in the United States, it departed for the Mediterranean Theater of Operations in September, arriving in Egypt in November. Squadron headquarters was located on the Horn of Africa, at Gura, Eritrea by December, but relocated to Accra, Gold Coast (now Ghana) by the spring of 1943, and remained there for the rest of the war.[1] The squadron operated through detachments located throughout northern Africa and, after 1943, in Italy. The squadron supported special operations in the Mediterranean. By May 1944, it had seven detachments operating behind German lines in the Balkans, primarily in Albania and Yugoslavia.[6] In March, two squadron weather observers and a radioman had parachuted into Yugoslavia and were embedded with Tito's partisan forces to provide information for Douglas C-47 Skytrains airlifting supplies for the partisans.[7]
In the spring of 1946 the squadron left Accra, and in June 1946, moved without personnel to Wiesbaden, Germany. It remained there as a paper unit until inactivating in October 1947.[1] [5]
The squadron was again activated on 1 June 1948 at Smoky Hill Air Force Base, Kansas. It moved twice in the next three years before arriving at Kansas City, Missouri in September 1951, providing regional weather coverage for USAF units.[8] From Kansas City, and later, from Grandview Air Force Base (later Richards-Gebaur Air Force Base, its detachments provided weather services for the bases of Central Air Defense Force (CADF) and the squadron commander acted as the staff weather officer for CADF.[9] After CADF was inactivated, it provided the same services for 33d Air Division bases.[10] It was inactivated on 8 July 61 and its personnel and equipment transferred to the 29th Weather Squadron, which moved on paper from Malmstrom Air Force Base to Richards-Gebaur.[1] [11]
The squadron was redesignated the 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron and converted to provisional status. It was assigned to Air Combat Command (ACC) to activate or inactivate as needed. By October, ACC had organized the squadron at and assigned it to the 504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group at Bagram Air Field to perform weather observation and forecasting duties as part of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan from 2009 to 2014. The squadron primarily provided support to Army task forces operating throughout Afghanistan.[12]
Activated on 30 June 1942
Inactivated on 3 October 1947
Activated on 1 June 1948
Inactivated on 8 July 1961
Activated by 2 October 2009
Inactivated c. 10 November 2014[13]
504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group, by 2 October 2009 – c. 10 November 2014[1] [13]
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EAME Theater Service Streamer without inscription | 14 November 1942 – 11 May 1945 | 19th Weather Squadron | |
| Consolidation II | 1 November 2006 – 30 November 2006 | 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron[15] | |
| Consolidation III | 1 December 2006 – 30 June 2011 | 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron | |