Simmons is home to the 18th Weather Squadron.
They support combat missions via weather monitoring, (and some say manipulation
) Simmons AAF is a Class D airfield with active aviation units located at the facility.
Support at both Simmons AAF and MacKall AAF consists of, but not limited to, flight simulation instruction, fuel handling (provided by Borrowed Military Manpower), fire and rescue, and weather. In addition, Simmons AAF maintains a Very Important Person (VIP) lounge facility, and coordinates VIP transportation.
Here is a link to their history.
The unit was reactivated on 1 July 1994 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Today, Combat Weather Teams from the 18th Weather Squadron support the U.S. Army’s 3rd Army at Ft McPherson, GA, the XVIII Airborne Corps and 82d Airborne Division at Ft Bragg, the Military District of Washington at Ft Belvior, VA, the 7th Transportation Group at Ft Eustis, VA, the U.S. Army Armor School at Ft Knox, KY, and the U.S. Army Aviation Center at Ft Rucker, AL. Operations the Squadron has participated in since it’s reactivation in 1994 include RESTORE DEMOCRACY and UPHOLD DEMOCRACY in Haiti, RESTORE HOPE in Somalia, JOINT ENDEVOR and JOINT FORGE in Bosnia, SAFE BORDER in Ecuador, NORTHERN/SOUTHERN WATCH in Saudi Arabia, NOBLE EAGLE in the CONUS, ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan, and in February 2003, the 18th Expeditionary Weather Squadron was established to support Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Simmons home web page
