Despite the outer rain bands of Tropical Storm Cindy continuing to impact Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi, Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training Unit (CNATTU) Keesler graduated eight meteorology and oceanography journeyman forecasters during a June 22 ceremony.

CNATTU Keesler Commanding Officer Cmdr. Timothy Knapp presided over the ceremony, remarking to the Sailors and their attending families and friends that the first named storm of the season in the Gulf of Mexico served as a fitting backdrop to what the Navy's newest forecasters will do at assignments around the world.

"Understanding and predicting the real-life weather that's happening around you today is why Sailors in the aerographer's mate [AG] rating spend so much time in school," said Knapp. "You'll be taking the tools you've learned at CNATTU Keesler to the fleet and helping plan aircraft missions, ship movements, special operations evolutions and other Navy operations."

Tropical Storm Cindy, downgraded to a tropical depression in the mid-morning of June 22, made landfall near the Texas and Louisiana border early Thursday morning, producing rain accumulations of 3 to 6 inches, flash flooding and tornado warnings as far east as the Florida panhandle, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Knapp, who oversees the U.S. Navy's sole schoolhouse for initial accession Sailors in the AG rating, said situations such as Tropical Storm Cindy are something aerographer's mates can encounter, and their interpretations of data can significantly impact Navy and joint operations around the world.

"[Aerographer's mates] examine data from existing weather conditions and compare these with historical data to form an accurate picture of what could develop," said Knapp. "These newest forecasters were able to see a weather system develop during their final few days of coursework and completed the Forecaster School during a named storm."

The 155-day course prepares students for forecasting and briefing duties for meteorological and oceanographic support of deployable ships and aircraft. Students learn how atmospheric and oceanographic conditions can impact ship and aircraft transit paths, as well as how to effectively communicate these conditions under all readiness conditions.

Knapp also reenlisted six of the graduating Sailors and thanked the families in attendance for their continued support.

CNATTU Keesler trains service members in the electronic calibration of afloat and aviation equipment, meteorological and oceanographic observing and forecasting and the maintenance and repair of meteorological equipment.

CNATTU Keesler is a training unit of the Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. CNATT develops, delivers, and supports aviation technical training at 27 sites located throughout the continental United States and Japan.

CNATT is a technical training agent for the Naval Aviation Enterprise, an organization designed to advance and sustain naval aviation warfighting capabilities at an affordable cost, and is the largest training center under Naval Education and Training Command.

For more information, visit https://www.navy.mil, http://www.facebook.com/usnavy, or http://www.twitter.com/usnavy.

For more news from Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training, visit www.navy.mil/.