Altus Air Force Base
Altus Air Force Base, located in southwestern Oklahoma, is a crucial training hub for the United States Air Force’s global air mobility mission. It is home to the 97th Air Mobility Wing (97 AMW), which falls under the Air Education and Training Command (AETC). The base’s primary mission is to provide formal initial and advanced specialty training programs for aircrew on some of the Air Force’s most vital aircraft: the C-17 Globemaster III transport, the KC-135 Stratotanker, and the newest aerial refueling platform, the KC-46 Pegasus. This makes Altus known as “Mobility’s Hometown,” where future mobility airmen hone their skills in airland, airdrop, and air refueling operations to ensure global reach for combat and humanitarian missions.
The 97th AMW is organized into various groups, including the 97th Operations Group, which oversees the flying squadrons responsible for the training mission. This includes the 58th Airlift Squadron for C-17 training, the 54th Air Refueling Squadron for KC-135 training, and the 56th Air Refueling Squadron, which serves as the formal training unit for the KC-46 Pegasus. Altus Air Force Base also benefits from an average of over 300 flying days a year and a flat landscape, making it an ideal location for extensive aircrew training. Its unique, all-civilian maintenance group further supports the training mission by providing comprehensive aircraft maintenance for all three aircraft types.