Face of Defense: Airman Takes Weather Award Twice

By Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens

Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa Public Affairs

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti, April 18, 2012 – There's an old saying that lightning doesn't strike twice in the same place, but it did for one Air Force noncommissioned officer.

Tech. Sgt. Gregory Spiker, joint meteorology and oceanography operations weather forecaster, Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa, was named the 2011 Air Force Weather Noncommissioned Officer of the Year -- his second Air Force-wide weather award. His first one was the Air Force Battlefield Weather NCO of the Year for 2006.

Spiker's skill in the weather career field was obvious to his home-station supervisor, Air Force Capt. Drew Moore, 56th Operations Support Squadron Weather Flight commander, Luke Air Force Base, Ariz.

"He's topnotch at what he does," Moore said of Spiker. "He's energetic, motivated and very involved with the fighter squadrons here and what we do on the weather side. He's positive, has a good attitude and is a stellar NCO."

Spiker deployed here in November 2011.

"Here we're responsible for forecasting for the entire area of interest for the combined joint task force," Spiker said. "Any mission that's a CJTF-HOA mission, we're going to forecast for it."

Spiker said he took an interest in weather and natural science at an early age. He first found out about the weather career field from his recruiter before joining the Air Force 10 years ago and he's been doing it ever since.

"I had always been a natural sciences kind of person and more of the 'outdoorsy' type," Spiker said. "I wanted to do something different, and it seemed like the Air Force offered the most unique opportunity for me, so it really worked out."

His first two deployments were to Iraq in 2006 and 2007 to provide tactical weather support for the U.S. Army’s 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division Stryker Brigade, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash. Spiker said his service in a deployed environment contributed to him earning his first Air Force weather award and also played a part in his receiving the 2011 award.

One of his main responsibilities here includes setting up and maintaining tactical weather equipment used for collecting atmospheric data in the CJTF-HOA area of interest, Spiker said. His job takes him to other sites in Djibouti and several countries in and around the Horn of Africa in support of the CJTF-HOA mission.

Spiker is a “tremendous asset” and deserves the recognition, said his supervisor, Navy Cmdr. Douglas Wahl.

"He is proactive and one of the most-knowledgeable Air Force technicians and forecasters I've worked with,” Wahl said of Spiker. “It's obvious he takes great pride in his job and this award truly reflects the quality of his workmanship."

Even though Spiker was excited about winning the award, he said he knew his career field was more than just a one-man job -- it is a team effort. He praised the airmen in his shop at Luke AFB and the joint personnel he works with here for their excellent performance.

"I work with the most awesome people I've ever worked with in my career right now. They're all such hard workers," Spiker said. "I've always been lucky to be able to work alongside such great people.”