815th and 345th Airlift Squadrons prepare for upcoming deployment

Members of the 41st Aerial Port Squadron load water barrels onto a C-130J-30 stretch model aircraft, flown by members of the 815th and 345th Airlift Squadrons. These barrels simulated cargo that was airdropped as part of the squadrons' training for their upcoming deployment to Southwest Asia. The 815th "Flying Jennies" and 345th "Golden Eagles," an active associate unit, work and train side-by-side as part of the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)

815th and 345th Airlift Squadrons prepare for upcoming deployment

An 815th Airlift Squadron C-130J-30 aircraft is prepped for an airdrop training exercise. Reservists with the 815th AS and active-duty members from the 345th AS prepare for an upcoming deployment early next year in support of overseas contingencies in Southwest Asia. The 815th "Flying Jennies" and 345th "Golden Eagles," an active associate unit, work and train side-by-side as part of the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)

Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

A WC-130J Hurricane Hunter takes off for a mission into the eye of Hurricane Ike. With the exception of two palletized weather stations, the WC-130J is not modified for missions into hurricanes and other troical weather. The aircraft is manned by U.S. Air Force Reservists from the 53rd Weather Reconniassance Squadron. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

Hurricane Hunters Track Ike

Once the six-bladed props start spinning, it's time for Weather Reconnaissance Loadmaster, Tech. Sgt. Scott Blair, to board and ensure the aircraft is closed up tight before takeoff. Sergeant Blair, a Reservist with the Hurricane Hunters, is responsible for the safety of the aircraft and is also tasked with launching and gathering weather data through the use of an instrument called a dropsonde. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

One Lonely Bird

The last WC-130J to evacuate Keesler lifts off gently into the air over the flightline on its way to Homestead Air Reserve Station near Miami to support ongoing missions into Hurricane Gustav and flights beginning tomorrow into Tropical Storm Hannah. Citizen Airmen of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known as the Hurricane Hunters, have been tracking Gustav over the past several days as it has grown from a depression into a Category 4 hurricane by 2 pm.m today. These Reservists fly missions into these powerful storms to provide the best possible data used by forecasters at the National Hurricane Center to project the direction and intensity. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. James B. Pritchett)

Ready to Load

KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss.--Senior Airman Zachary Zieman (left) and Staff Sgt. Dana Kelley, 815th Airlift Squadron loadmasters, hook up a chain to the back of a M35 2.5 ton cargo truck, also known as a "deuce-and-a-half." During the 403rd Wing's August Unit Training Assembly, Citizen Airmen of the 815th AS and the 41st Aerial Port Squadron practiced loading and offloading the truck onto one of the squadron's C-130J-30 aircraft. The C-130J-30 is a "stretched" version of the J-model with 15 additional feet in length allowing crews to load more cargo than legacy C-130s. Rather than backing the vehicle onto the plane, they used the truck to simulate heavy, stationary cargo that needed to be on-loaded using a system of chains, hooks and pulleys. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Ryan Labadens)