MORRISTOWN, NJ – Roughly one month before the beginning of the 2017 Atlantic “Hurricane Season,” Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (NJ-11) brought a veteran National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) “Hurricane Hunter” to visit with students at four schools in his Congressional District on Monday, April 24, 2017, CDR Justin Kibbey, a National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) pilot.  Schools the Congressman visited are as follows:

Memorial Middle School (Whippany)

Valley Road Elementary School (Stanhope)

Lenox Elementary School (Pompton Lakes)

Littleton Elementary School (Morris Plains)

“Commander Kibbey has thousands of hours of flying experience in some of the worst hurricanes to approach or hit our shores,” said Frelinghuysen.  “His presentation educated all of us on hurricane science.”

Frelinghuysen added, “We share the same goal: to convince students the value of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education.  Hopefully, Commander Kibbey’s experience will inspire many boys and girls to pursue their life’s work in these fields.  For these students, this very presentation may be key to their future.   STEM education, from preschool through college, prepares pupils for well-paying careers across education levels. The median annual wage for STEM workers is more than double the median wage for all workers. This holds true across education levels, including the 25% of STEM workers with less than a bachelor’s degree. Beyond this reality, STEM is the future of our U.S. economy.”

Commander Kibbey of the NOAA Corps is a veteran P-3 pilot. In March 2010, he was selected for an interservice transfer from the U.S. Navy to the NOAA Corps at the Aircraft Operations Center in Tampa, Florida. He flew his first hurricane mission in September 2010, and he has flown approximately 20 flights every year since. He helps scientists gather data by flying planes into hurricanes.

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