19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron

The 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron (19 EWXS) is a unit of the United States Air Force performing weather forecasting related duties as part of ISAF in Afghanistan. It belongs to the 504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group. The squadron was first active in 1942 during World War II where it served in Africa, and then after the war in Germany before returning to the United States. It was inactive between 1961 and 2009.

Lineage

 * Constituted as 19th Weather Squadron, Regional on 13 Jun 1942. Activated on 30 Jun 1942. Inactivated on 3 Oct 1947.
 * Activated on 1 Jun 1948. Inactivated on 8 Jul 1961.
 * Redesignated 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron, and converted to provisional status, on 12 Feb 2009.

Assignments

 * Air Weather Service, 30 Jun 1942
 * United States Army in the Middle East, 31 Oct 1943
 * Army Air Forces Weather Service, 19 Jul 1945
 * 5th Weather Group, 2 Aug 1946-3 Oct 1947
 * 103 Weather (later, 2103 Air Weather) Group, 1 Jun 1948
 * 2059th Air Weather Wing, 24 Oct 1950
 * 2103d Air Weather Group, 16 Sep 1951
 * 3d Weather Group, 20 Apr 1952
 * 4th Weather Wing, 8 Aug 1959-8 Jul 1961
 * 504th Expeditionary Air Support Operations Group, on or after 12 Feb 2009 - present

Stations

 * Bolling Field, District of Columbia, 30 Jun-24 Sep 1942
 * Suez, Egypt, 11 Nov 1942
 * Gura, Eritrea, East Africa, 19 Dec 1942
 * Accra, Gold Coast, West Africa, 21 Apr 1943
 * Cazes AAB, French Morocco, c. May 1946
 * Wiesbaden, Germany, 11 Jun 1946-3 Oct 1947
 * Smoky Hill AFB, Kansas, 1 Jun 1948
 * Lowry AFB, Colorado, 4 Jun 1949
 * Kansas City, Missouri, 10 Sep 1951
 * Grandview (later, Richards-Gebaur) AFB, Missouri, 24 Feb 1954-8 Jul 1961
 * Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, on or after 12 Feb 2009 - present

Emblem
The emblem was approved on 10 July 1959.

Blazon: On a disc per bend sinister Azure and Khaki, a bendlet Or, a sword palewise point to base Argent charged with at nombril with a starburst of the third fimbriated of the first, in dexter and sinister a cloud formation of the fourth, each charged with a lightning bolt palewise Gules; all within a narrow Yellow border.

Attached below the disc, a Blue scroll edged with a narrow Yellow border and inscribed "19TH EXP WEATHER SQ" in Yellow letters.

Symbolism: Ultramarine blue and Air Force yellow are the Air Force colors. Blue alludes to the sky, the primary theater of Air Force operations. Yellow refers to the sun and the excellence required of Air Force personnel. The significance of the split field has to do with weather support to both Air Force aviation and to the Army ground forces. Bad weather represented by thunderclouds with lightning threatens both the air and ground theaters of operation, but the mission of the 19 EWXS is to forecast good weather, which is represented by the sun, in the midst of bad in which the unit can deliver combat power, signified by the sword, from the air to the ground.

Awards and Decorations
Service Streamer: European-African-Middle Eastern Theater

References and sources

 * Factsheet Prepared by Patsy Robertson, Reviewed by Daniel Haulman, Air Force Historical Research Agency, 9 Mar 2009
 * Heraldry - 19th Expeditionary Weather Squadron, United States Army Institute of Heraldry