AFWA under new leadership following ceremony

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  • By 55th Wing Public Affairs
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. --  The Air Force Weather Agency held a change of command ceremony outside the Lt. Gen. Thomas S. Moorman headquarters building June 18.

U.S. Air Force Col. William Carle assumed command from U.S. Air Force Col. Louis Zuccarello during the time honored ceremony.

"It's a completely humbling honor to be here today," Carle said. "As commander, I promise to give 100 percent to continue the success of the Air Force Weather Agency and to continue the high standards set and led by Col. Zuccarello."

Carle moves just upstairs in the headquarters building as he has been serving as the 1st Weather Group commander since June 2012.

"I am committed to the unit's mission and I'm also committed to our Airmen and their families," he said. "(It's the Airmen) that make our organization successful and I'm here to serve them."

U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Eric S. Overturf, the Air Force's mobilization assistant to the director of operations, deputy chief of staff for operations, plans and requirements, presided over the ceremony and officially welcomed Carle to his new position.

"(Carle) is the perfect leader to pick up the reigns here and lead these Airmen," he said. "His whole career was built to get him to this position. He not only has operational experience, but he also has great people skills. He knows that if you take care of the Airmen, the Airmen will take care of the mission. I know (he'll) maintain AFWA's focus on the warfighter, and he's the right guy to lead AFWA."

Carle thanked Overturf for the opportunity to lead the Field Operating Agency and touched on the long lineage of Air Force weather.

"During our 70 years of history, our men and women have delivered unmatched weather information and support to our leaders - all of this by incredible Airmen," he said. "I know it's great Airmen that make the mission happen."

Carle is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and a master meteorologist and military parachutist. In addition to leading the 1st WXG, he's also commanded the 11th Operational Weather Squadron and served on the air staff as well as the Joint Special Operations Command, Air Force Special Operations Command and Pacific Air Forces staffs.

Zuccarello will be retiring after serving almost 30 years in the Air Force.

"It's truly been an honor and a privilege to serve the men and women of the Air Force Weather Agency," he said.

Zuccarello thanked his previous leaders at the Pentagon for giving him the opportunity to command the agency, the current leadership team and the more than 1,500 members of AFWA.

"Thank you for the extraordinary job you did over the past two years and for the long list of accomplishments you've compiled," he said. "The capabilities you delivered and the operations you conducted had an incredible impact on the success of many missions around the globe."

AFWA is comprised active-duty, civil service employees and contractors at 17 operating locations around the world. They provide centralized weather products and services including climatological and space weather support, to Air Force, Army, special operations, the intelligence community and other Department of Defense activities.