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  • Hurricane Hunters “Roll Out” for 2025 Atlantic hurricane season

    As part of the “Roll Out,” the Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron and 403rd Wing maintenance and support personnel based at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., prepositioned aircraft parts, tools, and communication systems at Henry E. Rohlsen Airport, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands,

  • Operations, maintenance Hone ACE skills

    As the Air Force adapts to requirements brought about by the Great Power Competition, the Citizen Airman aircrews, maintainers, and other supporting personnel of the Air Force Reserve’s 403rd Wing are constantly proving that they are up to task when it comes to Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen.

  • Additional VHF antenna enhances communication to improve forecasts

    Hurricane season starts June 1 and the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron’s role in collecting weather data is key for forecasts. To enhance their communication capabilities, the United States Air Force Reserve completed the successful temporary installation and test of a third Very High

  • Caribbean outreach mission promotes hurricane preparedness

    Hurricane season starts June 1 and to help communities prepare, the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters and a team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters visited four Caribbean locations April 16-20 as part of the annual Caribbean Hurricane Awareness Tour.

  • Hurricane Hunters depart to fly Hilary reconnaissance

    The Air Force Reserve “Hurricane Hunters,” assigned to the 403rd Wing at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, departed today to fly weather reconnaissance missions into Hurricane Hilary to collect weather data that improves National Hurricane Center forecasts.

  • 53rd WRS supports Hurricane Lisa, Atmospheric River reconnaissance

    Colloquially referred to as the “Hurricane Hunters,” the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron does in fact “hunt” hurricanes and tropical systems in all stages of formation during the Atlantic and Pacific hurricane seasons. While this keeps the squadron alert from mid-May to Nov. 30, they are

  • Hurricane Hunters testing new SATCOM capabilities

    For the Air Force Reserve's 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters, the ability to transmit data in flight is tantamount to mission success.As one of their WC-130J Super Hercules aircraft powers through a hurricane, a loadmaster is in the back, preparing and launching dropsondes that

  • Hurricane Hunters wrap up Elsa recon ahead of landfall

    The Air Force Reserve’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron Hurricane Hunters wrapped up their aerial reconnaissance efforts for Tropical Storm Elsa Wednesday morning, July 7, after the storm made landfall on the northwest coast of Florida.The 53rd WRS is assigned to the 403rd Wing and is the only