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  • Hurricane Hunters fly Beryl

    The 53rd WRS, a component of the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing at Keesler AFB, has been flying data-gathering missions into Hurricane Beryl, the first major hurricane of the season.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly last mission into Ian

    The unit flew weather reconnaissance missions around the clock for more than a week into Hurricane Ian to gather vital weather data for National Hurricane Center forecasts.

  • Hurricane Hunters testing new SATCOM capabilities

    The aerial reconnaissance weather officer sits adjacent, quality checking the figures from the dropsonde, as it plummets to the ocean’s surface, and from the stepped frequency microwave radiometer attached to the wing of the aircraft.

  • Reserve Airmen participate in exercise Patriot Warrior

    During the exercise, the unit stood up a fully operational base, equipped with mobile hospitals for simulated patients flown in on military aircraft, such as the C-130J Super Hercules aircraft operated by an 815th AS aircrew who took part in the deployment-style exercise to enhance wartime skills.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • AF Week in Photos

    This week's photos feature Airmen from around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.

  • Flying Jennies train in Alaska

    Working with the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team Airborne, 25th Infantry Division, the 815th AS provided airlift for more than 1,300 paratroopers for three days, as well as airdrops for heavy equipment on the fourth day, during a training exercise at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

  • Flying Jennies provide airlift, airdrop during Voyager Shield

    Next to their vehicles, standing on a hill overlooking a dirt runway, liaison officers talk with pilots of an Air Force Reserve Command C-130J Super Hercules via a secure communications radio that they have set up at the Geronimo Landing Zone, to bring them in for a landing as part of exercise

  • Camp Gulfport opens doors for ROM operations

    With preventing the spread of COVID-19 being a top priority, Headquarters Air Force had to develop a new process to ensure the safety of the service members before deployment into the U.S. Central, Africa and European Commands’ areas of responsibility.

  • 403rd Wing weathers record storm season

    A historical hurricane season means a packed schedule for the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing and their 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron “Hurricane Hunters.” Throw in a pandemic and four evacuations and this season was one of the busiest for the Reserve Airmen.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly first mission of 2020 Atlantic season

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, the only Department of Defense organization that flies weather reconnaissance, is expected to fly into Invest 90L throughout the weekend to provide weather data by satellite communication to the National Hurricane Center in Miami to improve their computer

  • Air Force BMT adjusts schedules, locations to sustain mission readiness

    In order to ensure the health and safety of trainees and instructors and to preserve dorm capacity, new recruits will be brought in based on a four-week repeating cycle that includes stringent restricted movement guidelines, dedicated time for deep cleaning between rotations, resetting the

  • NOAA, NHC visit 53rd WRS Hurricane Hunters

    On Nov. 13 and 14, the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters hosted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunters and representatives from the NHC, National Center for Atmospheric Research and the Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination

  • Hurricane Hunters finish flying Dorian

    Operations began with three WC-130J aircrafts and one C-130J Super Hercules aircraft from the 403rd Wing departing Keesler Air Force Base, Aug. 25, for Curaçao to provide weather reconnaissance support of what was then Tropical Storm Dorian.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Hurricane Dorian

    Due to a lack of radar and weather balloons availability over the Atlantic Ocean, the 53rd WRS flies into the storms, gathers the data and provides this data to the NHC to assist with their forecasts and storm warnings by transmitting the information gathered via satellite communication

  • Reserve Airmen hunt hurricanes

    This specialized unit of Reserve Airmen is made up of a five-person crew consisting of a pilot, co-pilot, navigator, aerial reconnaissance weather officer and loadmaster who is also the dropsonde operator.

  • Hurricane Hunters inside eye as Michael makes landfall

    The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron started flying into Hurricane Michael Oct. 7 and over the next four days observed it intensify from a possible tropical depression to a Category 4 storm, which made landfall near Mexico Beach, Florida, at 12:30 p.m. Oct. 10.

  • US Naval Academy tests waters with Hurricane Hunters

    When the subject of summer internships comes up, thoughts of fetching coffee and doing paperwork or answering phone calls come to mind.What does not come to mind is working 10,000 feet in the air in an Air Force Reserve WC-130J Hercules flying through a hurricane for the sake of research.

  • Hurricane Hunters fly Tropical Storms Beryl, Chris

    The Air Force Reserve’s Hurricane Hunters spent the weekend flying weather reconnaissance missions into Tropical Storm Chris off the North Carolina coastline and Tropical Storm Beryl in the Caribbean Sea to gather data for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

  • Prepare now for hurricane season

    Hurricane season begins June 1 and now is the time to prepare. To promote this message, an Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircrew with their WC-130J Super Hercules and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hurricane experts visited five Gulf Coast cities as part of this

  • Women of Weather: Hurricane Hunters make a difference

    Those goals became reality for Maj. Ashley Lundry, an aerial reconnaissance weather officer, and Maj. Devon Meister, a pilot, both members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, referred to as the Hurricane Hunters, a unit in the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.

  • Wellness for mission success – find meaning

    Airmen do not have to serve. They do it because they find meaning in serving, whatever that meaning may be. Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Pat Thompson said that one way to find meaning is through spirituality. He also believes spirituality increases resilience because it gives people something to rely on and

  • Wellness for mission success – create balance

    Finding balance and fulfilling all of life’s demands can be difficult for anyone, but reserve Airmen have an extra layer they weave into their lives. This layer involves giving away one of their weekends every month, completing rigorous training and being prepared for the potential to have to drop

  • Wellness for mission success – manage stress

    This is the second in a four-part series on how individual wellness contributes to mission success and why it’s beneficial for Reserve Citizen Airmen to preserve health, manage stress, create balance and find meaning.

  • ART of the mission: the air reserve technician

    The Air Force has a full complement of people working to accomplish the Air Force mission of fly, fight and win in air, space and cyberspace. The Air Force Reserve plays a vital role in this mission, supplying combat-ready forces to work alongside their active-duty counterparts in both wartime and

  • Flying Jennies ready for combat airlift mission

    In Greek mythology, a phoenix is a bird that obtains new life by rising from the ashes. Many members of the 815th Airlift Squadron might be able to relate to this tale of renewal or resurrection, except their symbol isn’t a legendary bird, but a hard-working and practical pack mule—a Flying Jenny.In

  • Wright celebrates MTL legacy, tours Keesler

    Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright visited Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, to celebrate a ribbon cutting for the new Military Training Leader Course schoolhouse and to tour the base Oct. 23 - 25.

  • Hurricane Hunters track Harvey

    Harvey began as a scattered collection of clouds drifting across the Atlantic Ocean and in just over a week has developed into a category two hurricane.

  • 'Hurricane Hunters' busy with missions on both coasts

    It's been a busy two weeks for the Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters. The 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron flew their last of 15 missions into Hurricane Ana in the Pacific Monday while gathering weather data for the Central Pacific Hurricane Center. On the other side of the globe, the

  • Hurricane Hunters head west into 'Odile'

    The Air Force Reserve's Hurricane Hunters flew into Hurricane Odile Sunday to collect critical weather data for the National Hurricane Center. Hurricane Odile formed in the Pacific Ocean and made landfall this morning in Baja, California. After reaching Category 4 strength on Sunday, Odile weakened