A small rate that often goes unnoticed at shore and at sea, aerographer’s mates (AG) are an integral part of the Navy. AGs are experts in meteorology and oceanography. They monitor air pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, temperature and other variables that effect flight operations and the daily routine of the ship.

“One day I had briefed that there was a possibility of thunderstorms,” said Chief Aerographer’s Mate Wayne Clester, leading chief petty officer of USS Dwight D. Eisenhower’s (CVN 69) Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) division, as he describes an unfortunate incident on his last deployment with USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75). “One of the jets actually ended up getting struck by lightning.”

Clester said nobody was hurt and that there is always a lesson to be learned.

“We are very focused on safety flight and safety navigation,” said Clester. “Everything we do in the Navy is hinged on weather.”

AGs are not just weather guessers; they have many responsibilities aboard ship.

“We hold a lot of titles, people just think we’re meteorology, but we’re also oceanography,” said Aerographer’s Mate 2nd Class Chris Mann, a forecaster in METOC. “We try to use atmospheric dynamics to get the fighter the best opportunity, whether it be above the surface or below the surface. I do daily forecasts and navigation briefs, so we know we have the proper windows or the proper climate in order to do flight operations or to steer the ship in the right direction away from high winds at sea or from possible thunderstorms.”

Mann said the AG community is a small one, with less than a thousand enlisted Sailors.   

“A lot of people don’t even know what an AG is, it’s not exactly a common rate,” said Aerographer’s Mate Airman Dimitri Kaponis, a technician in METOC. "We try to get as integrated as possible, but it’s kind of hard sometimes. We work 12-hour shifts, and half of us are on one shift and half of us on the other.”

The AGs are located in a small office in the island of Ike with a coveted, but necessary feature on a ship: windows, which Kaponis said is necessary to keep their eyes on the surrounding weather.

Lt. Cmdr. Robert Wendt, the METOC officer, said he loves working with the AGs and shares their love for meteorology.

“Our AGs are very smart and very sharp,” said Wendt. “They have a passion for weather and they really enjoy what they do.”

 “Sometimes we’re kind of tucked off away in the back, but we’re Sailors too,” said Mann. “We are all working together for the same mission.”

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