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  • Hurricane Hunters war on weather

    Same Scenario; Different Ocean--At 1:15 a.m. June 15, Lt. Col. Jeff Ragusa shuts off his alarm, rolls out of bed and gets ready quietly and leaves for work. The pilot and aircraft commander meets his crew at 2:15 a.m. to prepare for a 4:30 a.m. departure to fly a low-level investigation mission at

  • Katrina Flashback: Hurricane Hunters look back at historic storm

    The number of missions and storms flown by the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron out of Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., are too numerous to mention. However, some storms leave such an impact they are unforgettable.Such is the case with Hurricane Katrina. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of

  • 403rd Wing maintainers replinish oxygen

    Tech. Sgt. Clinton Nicholas, a crew chief with the 403rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, refills the liquid oxygen on a WC-130J before its deployment to collect weather data in the Atlantic Ocean for the National Hurricane Center, Aug. 19, 2015. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Brian Lamar)

  • 53rd WRS loadmasters scramble to meet storm mission

    Master Sgt. Troy Bickham, a loadmaster with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, preps the back of a WC-130J before a deployment to the Caribbean to gather storm data in Hurricane Danny for the National Hurricane Center, Aug. 19, 2015. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Master Sgt. Brian Lamar)

  • Pre-flight checks

    Capt. Forrest Heintz, a Hurricane Hunter pilot with the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron does a pre-flight check before traveling to Hawaii to assist the Central Pacific Hurricane Center with storm data collection in the Pacific Ocean Aug. 19, 2015. The Hurricane Hunters are currently preparing

  • Keesler Citizen Airman helps motorist in need

    The normal routine of waking up before the sun rises, showering, brushing teeth, donning his uniform  and driving to Keesler Air Force Base was interrupted for Senior Airman Broderick McMillan as he drove south on I-110 toward for the final day of the August Unit Training Assembly.McMillan, an air

  • Hurricane Hunters deploy to Hawaii to fly Guillermo

    The Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, assigned to the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, deployed to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam and began flying data-gathering missions into Hurricane Guillermo Sunday.Hurricane Guillermo became a Category 2 storm Friday