Photo By Capt. Lou Burton | From left to right: Senior Airman Bobby Lewis, Capt. Griffin Petri, Staff Sgt....... read more read more
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Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA – The 7th Combat Weather Squadron has emerged victorious from Thunder Challenge 2025, an annual competition designed to test the tactical proficiencies and weather expertise of combat weather Airmen. The three-day event was hosted by the 1st Combat Weather Squadron, July 8-10.
“Thunder Challenge is a graduate-level event that pushes combat weather Airmen physically, technically, and mentally through our base competencies, tactical skills, and real-world observing, forecasting, and briefing scenarios,” said Lt. Col. Griffin Casey, 7th CWS commander.
This year's challenge built upon the foundation of previous years, incorporating elements such as a modified Army Combat Fitness Test, augmented reality marksmanship and tactical shooting events, land navigation, simulated casualty care scenarios, weighted ruck marches, weather equipment implementation, and combat weather knowledge assessments. New for 2025 was the addition of a live-fire stress shoot, further intensifying the pressure and demanding precision under duress.
“Each iteration of Thunder Challenge provides a unique yet challenging course of events,” said Tech. Sgt. Joseph Miller, 7th CWS team member. “The first year I went (2023) the competition was held at Ft. Bragg, and the events were heavily focused on warrior skills, ECP, patrols, IED identification, react to contact, etc. This year the competition was more balanced and encompassed a broader scope of what Combat Weather units do on a day-day basis. The competition was equal parts technical and physical with a well-thought-out course of events.”
Five combat weather squadrons participated in Thunder Challenge 2025: the 7th CWS, 18th CWS, 1st CWS, 3rd CWS, and 607th CWS. Each squadron fielded a team of three to four individuals, showcasing the diverse talents and capabilities within the combat weather community. While the 23rd Special Operations Weather Squadron had to withdraw due to unforeseen events, the competition remains open to total force units, with hopes of increased participation from Air National Guard units in future iterations.
The competition recognizes excellence across multiple categories, including the most physically fit staff weather officer, the "smartest" SWO (determined by individual performance in forecasting, observing, and weather trivia), and the top overall team award. This year, the 7th CWS claimed the overall team victory, a significant achievement after narrowly missing the top spot in 2023, losing by a mere half-point.
When asked about the significance of the win, Casey emphasized the profound impact Thunder Challenge has on the participating Airmen.
"Airmen that compete in Thunder Challenge return to their units with expanded skill sets and a greater understanding of how they enable the U.S. Air Force, U.S Army, and Partner Forces," said Casey. “The competition fosters the exchange of tactics, techniques and procedures, encourages experimentation with new equipment, and strengthens camaraderie across a career field that is often geographically dispersed.”
The 7th CWS victory exemplifies the dedication, expertise, and readiness of its Airmen.
"Airmen of the 7th CWS must be prepared to deploy on short notice to austere and less than permissive environments," said Casey. "These four exemplify what well-trained, motivated, and multi capable Airmen can do for the joint force in the future fight. They and the rest of the combat weather Airmen around the world are experts at bringing Airpower to the combined, joint force."
While Lt. Col. Casey acknowledged the contributions of the entire team, he singled out the exceptional leadership of Capt. Griffin Petri, the team leader.
"He designed the train-up schedule, assessed himself and the team for strengths and weaknesses, and created a plan to win,” said Casey. “He prepared the team for the contest more like Best Ranger than a weather forecasting competition, which directly resulted in taking home the trophy."
Conversely, Capt. Petri highlighted the team’s dedication to training and Tech. Sgt. Miller’s knowledge of the competition was key to their success.
“The team brought together various experiences and expertise, coupled with a drive to win and tenacity to get after conducting hard realistic training,” said Petri. “This win shows that the effort the members put in day to day is working. They are experts in their craft and uphold the highest standards with the skillset required for their primary jobs as well as the skills required to work alongside our Army and joint partners."
Thunder Challenge 2025 fostered innovation, collaboration, and the continued development of combat weather Airmen. For the 7th CWS, their victory serves as a testament to their commitment to excellence and their vital role in ensuring airpower dominance on the modern battlefield.
“The level of competition among the teams present really showed just how special the Combat Weather units are,” said Miller. “The hard work and dedication of the participants outlines the challenging tasks we face every day without thinking twice. To win this competition our team had to be technical experts in nearly every aspect of our field, along with having the physical fortitude to push through the pain and get the mission done no matter what.”
The winning 7th CWS team consisted of Capt. Griffin Petri, Tech. Sgt Joseph Miller, Staff Sgt. Fransico Estrada and Senior Airman Bobby Lewis.
| Date Taken: | 07.31.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 07.31.2025 09:02 |
| Story ID: | 544361 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 36 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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