Since 1944, the Defense Department’s only organization that provides aircraft and crews to fly into the eye of hurricanes and tropical storms is the Air Force Reserve Command’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, based at Keesler AFB, Miss. Their home base damaged heavily by Hurricane Katrina, the Hurricane Hunters are flying their specially equipped WC-130J aircraft out of Dobbins ARB, Ga., to scout out, at present, Hurricane Ophelia.
The Air Force budget would grow to $234 billion while Space Force spending would shrink to $26 billion under the White House's yearly ask.