Good day SWIFT blog post readers.
Without a doubt this has been the best summer training I have participated in. Hopping in a cramped van and driving 7,784 miles (and counting) all to watch severe weather has been an incredible experience. Each day there was a new forecast with new failure modes and a plethora of things to learn. Over the past two years I have been in the classroom learning the theories and mathematical applications of meteorology and atmospheric science. However, in this training I was able to directly apply and experience in real time the knowledge I have previously learned in these classes. Being able to see a forecast come to life, and understand its success or failure has been the most valuable part of this internship. My favorite weather moment was easily witnessing the supercell that formed west of Lubbock, Texas. As I stood in the inflow, I could feel the sheer power that formed the updraft of this storm while I watched it form, and I was in utter awe.
Supercell west of Lubbock, TX
I felt as though I grew more as a person as well, not just as a student. Being able to use technology and available meteorological resources to achieve a mission with this team helped me to become a future leader. It showed me how to communicate better, and how to make informed decisions based on scientific understanding. Additionally, It was incredibly fun to be in this van driving across the country with seven other like-minded people. I had never been to the Midwest before, and virtually every state was a first for me. One of my favorite moments was driving through Kansas and Nebraska through the flat plains and listening to old country music. We also had some amazing food, and some not so great food occasionally, but it was all for the experience.
Cows in Kansas - taken by Samuel Ford-Dirks
While our officer in charge, LCDR Burich, is retiring, I hope that this experience can live on at
USNA and provide others with the same opportunity that I have had.
Thank you!
Jack Volinsky
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