Benjamin Iles Email & Phone Number

I graduated from Northern Vermont University-Lyndon (formerly Lyndon State College) with a bachelors degree in atmospheric sciences in the spring of 2020. During my time there, I was fortunate to have an internship with the Vermont Department of Transportation, forecasting winter weather for the local area. I had always been fascinated by the weather, but once this internship gave me the opportunity to start forecasting, I realized that this was what I wanted to do as a long-term, targeted career path. The weather in Vermont is very challenging to forecast during the winter due to the frequent storm systems and topography of the state and was a great place to learn.After graduation, the world was still in the midst of the COVID pandemic and my job prospects were few so I decided to enlist in the military as a meteorologist to gain experience. Entering the military as an officer was an option, due to my college degree, however, at that point in my career, I was more interested in increasing my experience with forecasting than focusing on the more managerial aspects of being an officer.  This has been a great decision for me and I have gained more skill and confidence in my forecasting abilities. After basic training and tech school I was stationed at Ft Bliss, TX as an Army Support Staff Weather Officer. I am well versed in working with the military weather program. I learned how to be adaptable and think quickly as plans are always changing with the army. I have greatly enjoyed my time with the army, building relationships with the pilots, and supporting their training operations. I am proud to support them and ensure their safety during missions.Since returning from deployment, I have been taking on a more supervisory/training roll. I am now one of the more experienced airmen at Ft. Bliss and have been assigned Lead Forecaster for almost every shift. I assign work and ensure the quality and accuracy of any products sent out. I also help train new airmen as they arrive on our operations at the airfield and help them understand the unique weather of this area.