NAVAL WEATHER SERVICE ASSOCIATION (Est. 1976)
WHAT IS NWSA?
Our membership is composed of active and retired Aerographers, Mates, Aerologists, Meteorologists, Oceanographers, plus civilians with backgrounds or interests in these fields. While the majority of members are USN or USMC, there are some from all branches. We especially welcome as members any civilians who are employed in the Meteorology and Oceanography (METOC) fields. Annual dues are $20 after an initial $10 registration fee (waived for active-duty recruits). Our regional chapters extend across the U.S.A. We enjoy annual reunions.
The first NWSA reunion convened on Naval Air Station Lakehurst in 1975 - although it is a matter of record that the original initiative came from our senior petty officers assigned to ships and stations in Tidewater Virginia. The year after Lakehurst we gathered in Pensacola to form this association. In May 2007 our Northwest Regional Chapter hosted annual reunion #33.
WHY AN NWSA?
Our goal has always been to create or perpetuate friendships and cultivate camaraderie within Naval Aerology, which we now know as the METOC community. One huge help in starting NWSA was Chief Lloyd Bellinger's roster of shipmates. That roster became The Bellinger List in 1976 and now consists of thousands of names. It is updated annually by our elected Secretary-Treasurer, and comprises a primary benefit of NWSA membership. ( See History of "The Bellinger List" )
Our quarterly newsletter is The Aerograph, designed to facilitate communication among NWSA members. The Aerograph has been supplemented by the NWSA web page since the Internet assumed such importance in our world (navalweather.org). Thus, the newsletter is available to members via email or hardcopy. The labor performed by the appointed editor, and the appointed Webmaster is all voluntary, in keeping with the non-profit status of NWSA.
As with any fraternal or social organization, there has always been a core cadre of members who sustain NWSA. Those of us who wore the Aerographer rating badge remain proud to this day. We believe that AG is still the best rating in the NAVY. We try to show it.
WHERE WE FIT IN
Over the many years of its existence, NWSA has reinforced the historical goals of naval aviation by contributing to the superb National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola. Our earliest weather school was there right after WW1. Aerology memorabilia is similarly collected and donated to other museums such as USS HORNET, USS MISSOURI, and USS MIDWAY. Support rendered to the METOC command takes the form of honors rendered to the AG of the Year (shore and sea), on-call assistance of command elements when requested, and urging young citizens toward a NAVY and METOC career. Annual scholarships are awarded from contributed funds, encouraging under-graduate and graduate studies in Meteorology, Oceanography and Aerospace Science.
ANNUAL REUNIONS
When we gather for our annual reunions, all of the above comes into play. Members and non-members are equally welcome. Reunions are advertised in all practical ways. Regional chapters generally host, but not always. A major goal is to rotate the reunions to different geographical locations, in order to give travelers a break. Memorabilia is displayed. Tours of tourist attractions can be expected. Sea stories are in vogue. Comparisons between - The old days of Naval Aerology - and the METOC Command are popular, as one would expect among a broadly experienced cross section of attendees
