Joint Metoc Handboo - IHMC Ontology and Policy Management

5 - The Senior METOC Officer
Chapter 5 - The Senior METOC Officer
This chapter describes, in general, the job requirements for a Senior METOC Officer
(SMO) at a Unified Command. Paragraph 5.2.3 describes actions the SMO should
consider during Crisis Action Planning (CAP) and operation execution, including actions
to support a Joint Task Force (JTF) operating in the Area of Responsibility (AOR).
5.1 Job Background
5.1.1 Billet Requirements.
Need Top Secret (TS) clearance. Additionally, some Unified Commands require
Specialized Compartmentalized Information (SCI) clearance as well. Intermediate/Senior
Service School (ISS/SSS) is highly desired and required for some joint billets. Service
school is Phase I of Joint Professional Military Education (JPME); Armed Forces Staff
College (AFSC) is Phase II of JPME. Military officers (04 and above) need JPME Phase I
(Service school by correspondence is accepted) and JPME Phase II, and the required tour
length (36 months, day for day, unless SECDEF waiver) to obtain Joint Specialty Officer
(JSO) designation. Joint officers typically attend JPME Phase II (three months in Norfolk
VA) before beginning joint duties, or sometime during the first 12-18 months they're
assigned to their Unified Command (mission requirements permitting).
5.1.2 Structure.
The METOC Branch at each Unified Command has a small number of personnel (actual
number assigned varies) to provide all METOC support to the CINC and the staff. At
some Unified Commands there is no METOC officer directly assigned; support may be
provided by liaison officer(s) from another METOC agency, or alternatively, support may
be provided by a METOC officer at a designated component. This support ranges from
providing daily METOC update briefings and climatology, to developing annexes to
OPLANs and OPORDs, to designing and implementing the entire METOC support force
for a theater contingency or large-scale (multi-service or multi-national) exercise.
5.1.3 Relationship.
The SMO in-theater works for the CINC, normally through the Operations Director (J3).
SMOs should liaison with the CINC’s component commands’ staff weather and
oceanography officers.
5.1.4 Assets.
Each combatant command has components which provide forces to joint operations; most
components will have a staff weather officer or oceanographer who becomes the Joint
Task Force Joint METOC Officer (JMO) or component METOC officer (see Chapter 3
and applicable Service chapters). Forces needed, which are not available in-theater, can be
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