Brigadier General Benjamin J. “Joe” Spraggins – Professional Profile

In this episode of the Weather Heroes series, The Katrina Chronicles, we meet the man who oversaw the Harrison County, MS response and recovery efforts following Katrina’s devastating impact.

Brigadier General Benjamin J. “Joe” Spraggins (Ret.) is a distinguished military and public service leader with over 34 years in the U.S. Air Force. He retired in 2006 as a Brigadier General. He commanded the Combat Readiness Training Center Gulfport, the 186th Air Refueling Wing in Meridian, MS, and served as Chief of Staff of the Tennessee Air National Guard. An aviator with more than 3,400 flight hours, his final assignment was Battle Commander for the Continental United States Region under NORAD, overseeing U.S. air sovereignty.

Following his military career, Spraggins became the Harrison County, MS Emergency Management Director, coordinating recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill (2010), the Haiti earthquake (2010), and the Nashville flood (2010).

While recounting his Katrina experiences, the General describes the many challenges to recovery, shares some very moving stories, and provides insights into the long-term recovery efforts along the MS coast and what can be done to prepare for a worst-case scenario.

In 2013, he joined the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources (MDMR) and currently serves as the Executive Director. He leads programs in coastal restoration, resiliency, and marine fisheries.

General Spraggins also serves on multiple regional and national boards, including the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport Authority.

Known for his dedication to coastal Mississippi, he is a respected leader in disaster recovery, marine resource management, and community service

“Have a very good plan, practice it regularly, and be ready for what can happen; be prepared for war with nature. Never get complacent”

In this episode of our ongoing Katrina Chronicles, we discuss the recovery of coastal Mississippi schools in the aftermath of that devastating hurricane. The massive destruction of school buildings, the loss of facilities, faculty and staff presented unprecedented challenges. Almost everyone – teachers, parents and pupils were unhoused and had evacuated to places across the southeastern US.

Today, Glen East, Gulfport School District Superintendent, talks us through the journey to normalize one of the major aspects of daily life – school.

The decision to get the schools up and running as quickly as possible met a critical need for Katrina’s youngest victims. Studies later confirmed that school life, with its routine, safety, and sense of caring, was vital in helping the children cope with the daily challenges wrought by the aftermath of Katrina. Amazingly, the first schools were able to be reopened in 26 days!

Resources were gathered from around the country, partnerships made with other districts, solutions found to the many, many challenges. The reopening of schools in Gulfport and other coastal communities was paramount to help begin healing the devastated city.

So, join me in welcoming Mr. East as he recounts the post Katrina days and the rebuilding of a school district and community.

When Hurricane Katrina tore through the Mississippi Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, Gulfport Police Sergeant Andy Ratcliffe found himself at the heart of one of America’s most devastating natural disasters. A native Mississippian with an infectious enthusiasm for life, he helped maintain order and lead rescue efforts in the storm’s immediate aftermath. As a military pilot, he also took to the skies, flying FEMA and other officials over the wreckage and delivering lifesaving supplies by helicopter to stranded survivors.

In this episode, Colonel Ratcliffe reflects on the chaos and courage of those days: neighborhoods erased overnight, airports operating without controllers, and military‑style drop sites becoming lifelines for desperate families. He shares vivid first‑hand accounts of the destruction, the resilience of Gulfport’s community spirit, and the rally points that kept responders united when everything else was falling apart.

Commissioned as an aviation officer in 1998, his current command assignments include: Commander, A/1-185 AVN, Commander, I/1-185th AVN, Commander, HHC/1108th AVN GRP, and Commander of A/1108th AVN GRP. He has served as the Brigade AVN Officer for 155th ABCT, Executive Officer for 1-185 AVN Regiment, and Chief of Staff for 66th Troop Command. He has deployments to Iraq, Kuwait and Kosovo. He currently serves as the Facility Commander at the MS-AVCRAD and is also the Commander of the 1108th TASMG.

Colonel Ratcliffe is the recipient of numerous military awards and decorations which include the Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and Master Army Aviator Badge.

He has seen Gulfport recover over the years as he continues his orientation towards service as a community leader. He serves on the Board of Directors for Leadership Gulf Coast, the Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, Gulf Coast Business Council, and the Gulf Coast Boys & Girls Club while also a Deacon of the First Baptist Church of Gulfport.

Andy Ratcliffe’s story is more than a remembrance—it’s a testament to service, leadership, and the unbreakable will of a community recovering from a catastrophe.