Location
Altus, Oklahoma. Altus AFB has deep roots in the history of military aviation and continues to be at the forefront of aviation training. Indeed, the city of Altus is known throughout the Air Force for its enthusiastic support for our servicemen and women. The City of Altus is one of Oklahoma's fastest-growing, most prosperous and progressive cities. Altus offers a good family life and some of the finest game lands in the country. Military Retires find Altus' cost of living an important factor for picking Altus to spend their retirement years.
Altus AFB History
Altus Army Air Field began training pilots to fly twin-engine aircraft in 1943.
Most of the 5,477 graduates served in Europe in World War II. At the end of the war, the Army stopped using the field and it was closed in 1945.
The Air Force activated Altus Air Force Base in 1953. A Tactical Air Command troop carrier wing operated from Altus for 10 months before the Strategic Air Command assumed control of the base. It flew bomber and tanker aircraft and maintained 123 Atlas F Intercontinental Ballistic Missile sites around Southwestern Oklahoma and Northern Texas.
The Military Airlift Command took over operations in 1968, making Altus the formal training base for C-5s and C-141s. These large airplanes brought about a major construction effort, including a fuel dock, avionics repair shop, flight simulators and alteration of the hangars.
The 443rd Military Airlift Wing trained crews at Altus until 1992 when the Air Force inactivated the 443rd and activated the 97th Air Mobility Wing. In 1993, the newly reorganized Air Mobility Command turned the base and wing over to the Air Educations and Training Command. A short time later, the KC-135 Combat Crew Training School moved to Altus from Castle Air Force Base, Calif.
In 2001, the C-141 was phased out of the Air Force’s active duty fleet, and consequently from the Altus AFB aircraft inventory.
The 97th Air Mobility Wing is relatively new to the airlift mission, but has a long bomber/tanker history. The wing dates back to 1947 when it was activated by the Air Force at Mile 26 Air Field, later renamed Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska.
The 97th AMW has operated several B-29 and B-48 variants, but flew B-52s for more than 30 years. It also pioneered the use of boom-equipped tanker aircraft for air refueling missions.
The wing has participated in many contingencies and wartime operations. B-52 and KC-135 crews remained on airborne alert during the Cuban Missile Crisis. AB-52 from the 97th AMW flew the last bombing mission over Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Member of the 97th AMW formed a provisional wing in England in 1991 and flew bombing missions against Iraq’s elite Republican Guard.
More recently, the wing provided airmen, aircraft and aircrews in support of Operations Enduring Freedom and Operation Noble Eagle, along with other contingencies in southwest Asia and Europe.
Overview
The 97th Air Mobility Wing’s mission is to operate the Air Education and Training Command’s strategic airlift and aerial refueling flying training schools.
The wing provides airlift and air refueling support for the nation’s wartime response plans for conventional contingencies. As part of this mission, the wing provides instruction to the Air Force Reserve, National Guard, Navy, Coast Guard and to the air forces of friendly foreign nations.
The wing is made up of three groups and a directorate:
The97th Operations Groupincludes the 97th Operations Support Squadron, 97th Training Squadron, 54th Air Refueling Squadron, 55th Air Refueling Squadron and 58th Airlift Squadron.
The 97th Mission Support Groupincludes the 97th Force Support Squadron, 97th Civil Engineer Squadron, 97th Security Forces Squadron, 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron, 97th Communications Squadron and 97th Contracting Squadron.
The 97th Medical Group includes the 97th Medical Operations Squadron and the 97th Medical Support Squadron.
The 97th Maintenance Directorate includes the 97th Maintenance Division, 97th Maintenance Operations Division and 97th Aircraft Maintenance Division.
The Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 422, conducts felony-level investigations of serious criminal, fraud and counterintelligence matters involving Department of Defense personnel and materiel. AFOSI also works closely with all local, state and federal law enforcement and is the Air Force liaison for these agencies. Please contact the on-base AFOSI office at 481-7719 during duty hours. During non-duty hours contact the security forces law enforcement desk at 481-7444.
Detachment 2, Air Mobility Command Air Operation Squadron, is located in Building 87. The detachment provides Air Mobility Command oversight in simulator certification quality assurance for C-17 and KC-135 aircrew training system contracts. The detachment also oversees a logistics support contract for the air refueling task tankers. The total value of the contracts monitored by Det. 2, AMCAOS exceeds $1 billion.
Mission
Aircrew students are assigned to the 97th Training Squadron. In addition to an initial orientation, the squadron provides administrative and flying support while the students are at Altus. KC-135 students receive their ground and simulator training from Flight Safety Services Corporation, while C-17 students are trained by Boeing Corp. Both companies are under contract to the Air Force.
To reduce overall training costs, students receive less expensive—but still very realistic—training using cockpit procedure trainers, flight simulators, loadmaster simulators and cargo load trainers as part of their learning program. Students learn and practice both normal and emergency procedures—safely, efficiently and cost effectively—using these simulators and training devices.
More than 20 courses are taught to pilots, boom operators and loadmasters. These include initial qualification, requalification, aircraft commander upgrade, instructor upgrade and senior officer qualification. Some students are assigned to Altus AFB for as little as two weeks, while initial qualification boom operators and loadmaster students are on base for almost four months. The students range in rank from general officer to Airman Basic.
The 97th Operations Support Squadron manages the wing’s $169.2 million, 26,616 hour flying program for more than 260 instructors and more than 2,400 U.S. and Coalition C-17 and KC-135 students annually. The 97th OSS also provides direct support to three flying squadrons and operates six flights including airfield operations, current operations, aircrew flight equipment, tactics, intelligence and weather. The unit supports peacetime, contingency and humanitarian operations. The squadron is a critical force deployment enabler, deploying Airmen worldwide in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and combatant commander directed exercises and tasking.
The directorate maintains all assigned C-17 and KC-135 aircraft, engines and associated ground equipment. The directorate also provides support to transient aircraft, conducts aircraft corrosion prevention maintenance and preserves the historical aircraft on static display at Altus AFB. Lastly, the directorate maintains aircraft-similar air training devices and provides off-station aircraft recovery support.
All of the maintenance functions conducted by the directorate were converted from a predominantly military operation to a civil service (Most Efficient Organization) in 1996. The reorganized combat wing structure aligned the civil service maintenance directorate (group equivalent) most efficient organization with five divisions (squadron equivalents) directly under the wing commander.
The civil service maintenance directorate stood up in August 2002, assuming full responsibility and authority for aircraft maintenance. Overall, 84 percent of the civilian work force has served in the armed forces and 39 percent of the workforce is made up of retired Airmen.
The 776 member Civil Service Maintenance Directorate is the largest privatization and outsourcing venture in the Air Force and the first wide-body, large aircraft maintenance unit to be outsourced. The outsourcing resulted in a 51 percent reduction in authorizations, with the maintenance operations going from 1,444 (1,401 military, 43 civilians) to 735 civilians. The move to outsourcing saves the Air Force $22 million annually, while providing fully mission capable aircraft that ensure on-time graduation of aircrews.
Assigned Aircraft
KC-135 Stratotanker
The KC-135 Stratotanker provides the core aerial refueling capability for the United States Air Force and has excelled in this role for more than 50 years. This unique asset enhances the Air Force's capability to accomplish its primary missions of Global Reach and Global Power. It also provides aerial refueling support to Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and allied nation aircraft. The KC-135 is also capable of transporting litter and ambulatory patients using patient support pallets during aeromedical evacuations.
Four turbofans, mounted under 35-degree swept wings, power the KC-135 to takeoffs at gross weights up to 322,500 pounds. Nearly all internal fuel can be pumped through the flying boom, the KC-135's primary fuel transfer method. A special shuttlecock-shaped drogue attached to and trailing behind the flying boom, may be used to refuel aircraft fitted with probes. Some aircraft have been configured with the Multipoint Refueling System or MPRS. MPRS configured aircraft are capable of refueling two receiver aircraft simultaneously from special "pods" mounted on the wingtips. One crewmember, known as the boom operator, is stationed in the rear of the plane and controls the boom during in-flight air refueling. A cargo deck above the refueling system can hold a mixed load of passengers and cargo. Depending on fuel storage configuration, the KC-135 can carry up to 83,000 pounds of cargo.
C-17 Globemaster III
The C-17 Globemaster III is the newest, most flexible cargo aircraft to enter the airlift force. The C-17 is capable of rapid strategic delivery of troops and all types of cargo to main operating bases or directly to forward bases in the deployment area. The aircraft can perform tactical airlift and airdrop missions and can also transport litters and ambulatory patients during aeromedical evacuations when required. The inherent flexibility and performance of the C-17 force improve the ability of the total airlift system to fulfill the worldwide air mobility requirements of the United States.
The ultimate measure of airlift effectiveness is the ability to rapidly project and sustain an effective combat force close to a potential battle area. Threats to U.S. interests have changed in recent years, and the size and weight of U.S.-mechanized firepower and equipment have grown in response to improved capabilities of potential adversaries. This trend has significantly increased air mobility requirements, particularly in the area of large or heavy outsize cargo. As a result, newer and more flexible airlift aircraft are needed to meet potential armed contingencies, peacekeeping or humanitarian missions worldwide. The C-17 is capable of meeting today's demanding airlift missions.
Reliability and maintainability are two outstanding benefits of the C-17 system. Current operational requirements impose demanding reliability and maintainability. These requirements include an aircraft mission completion success probability rate of 92 percent, only 20 aircraft maintenance man-hours per flying hour, and full and partial mission availability rates of 74.7 and 82.5 percent, respectively. The Boeing warranty assures these figures will be met.
The C-17 measures 174 feet long with a wingspan of 169 feet, 10 inches. The aircraft is powered by four, fully reversible, Federal Aviation Administration-certified F117-PW-100 engines (the military designation for the commercial Pratt & Whitney PW2040), currently used on the Boeing 757. Each engine is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust. The thrust reversers direct the flow of air upward and forward to avoid ingestion of dust and debris. Maximum use has been made of off-the-shelf and commercial equipment, including Air Force-standardized avionics.
The aircraft is operated by a crew of three (pilot, copilot and loadmaster), reducing manpower requirements, risk exposure and long-term operating costs. Cargo is loaded onto the C-17 through a large aft door that accommodates military vehicles and palletized cargo. The C-17 can carry virtually all of the Army's air-transportable equipment.
Maximum payload capacity of the C-17 is 170,900 pounds, and its maximum gross takeoff weight is 585,000 pounds. With a payload of 169,000 pounds and an initial cruise altitude of 28,000 feet, the C-17 has an unrefueled range of approximately 2,400 nautical miles. Its cruise speed is approximately 450 knots (.76 Mach). The C-17 is designed to airdrop 102 paratroopers and equipment.
The design of the aircraft allows it to operate through small, austere airfields. The C-17 can take off and land on runways as short as 3,500 feet and only 90 feet wide. Even on such narrow runways, the C-17 can turn around using a three-point star turn and its backing capability.
HISTORY:
Altus Army Air Field began training pilots to fly twin-engine aircraft in 1943. Most of the 5,377 graduates served in Europe in World War II. The Army stopped using the field in 1945. The Air Force activated Altus Air Force Base in 1953. A Tactical Air Command troop carrier wing operated from Altus for ten months, and then the Strategic Air Command assumed control of the base. Military Airlift Command assumed operations in 1968, making Altus the formal training base for C-5s and C-141s. The 443d Military Airlift Wing trained crews at Altus until 1992. Then the Air Force inactivated the 443d and activated the 97th Air Mobility Wing. In 1993 Military Airlift Command turned the wing and base over to Air Education and Training Command.
MISSION:
Part of the Altus community and about an hour from Lawton, Altus Air Force Base is home to the 97th Air Mobility Wing. Over the years Altus roles have evolved into four distinct missions. Our primary mission, as the nation's C-5, C-17, and KC-135 Strategic Airlift and Air Refueling Training School, is to provide quality training to produce the finest combat-ready aircrew members--ensuring global reach for America. In with our training mission, our instructor force maintains operation currency so that they, as highly-qualified, combat-ready aircrew members, can deploy to augment worldwide contingencies. We maintain approximately 550 mobility positions available for immediate worldwide deployment. Finally, we act as the wartime aerial port of embarkation for over 27,000 soldiers, and their associated equipment, from the U.S. Army, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, located 50 miles east of Altus.
POPULATION SERVED:
Altus AFB serves active duty Military and family members, DoD Civilians and their families, and NAF Civilian and their families. Also, the base provides services to a large retired military population and their families.
Installation Population: 2,200 Active Duty, 1,913 family members; 2,384 civilians.
SPONSORSHIP:
If you are in need of a sponsor contact your unit Intro Monitor or the Family Support Center's relocation manager for assistance in obtaining a sponsor. The 24-hour arrival point to Altus Air Force base is the Red River Inn, building 82. The front desk will be able to answer any questions you may have on TLF. Maintain contact with your sponsor during all phases of your PCS, contact sponsor upon your arrival and/or make arrangements for sponsor to meet you upon arrival. If your family is traveling with you, have your sponsor make reservations at the billeting office at least four weeks in advance; Com (580) 481-7356, DSN 866-7356.
Postal Services
The U.S. Post Office is located in Building 304. The office provides regular mail service, money orders, Registered Mail, Certified Mail, Insured Mail, COD’s and stamp sales. The office is open 9 a.m. - noon and 1 - 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 9:30 a.m. - noon on Saturdays.
The Postal Service Center, also in Building 304, offers Post Office Boxes for base Airmen or service members TDY to Altus AFB. The service center is open weekdays 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. and Saturdays 9:30 a.m. - noon.
The forwarding address for newcomers is PSC Box 8000, Altus AFB, OK 73523-5360.
Please call 481-6364 for more information.
TEMPORARY QUARTERS:
Upon reporting to the Red River Inn, you will be able to arrange temporary quarters for you and your family. It is suggested to make reservations at least four weeks in advance, Com (580) 481-7356, DSN 866-7356. You are authorized ten days TLE reimbursement from military pay. If you stay in quarters prior to your arrival here, this will count towards your ten days TLE reimbursement. All students must check with the base finance office to determine their entitlements. Personnel stationed overseas who are returning to Altus to separate from the service must report to building 52, between 0730-1630, on the first duty day after arriving in the area. The maximum number of days it will take to complete separation processing is three.
RELOCATION ASSISTANCE:
Family Support Center's (FSC) relocation assistance, Com (580) 481-6761 DSN 866-6761, provides information and services to relocating personnel and their families to lessen the stress of moving. The FSC manages the Family Services' lending closet and airman's attic. Loan closet has kitchen items, tables, chairs, TV/DVDs, dish packs, futons, children's playpens, and high chairs available for check out.
CRITICAL INSTALLATION INFORMATION:
Any spouse interested in doing home care for children and becoming a licensed Family Child Care provider should contact the FCC Coordinator at the CDC. Altus AFB is not on the BRAC list to close.
Wing Commander’s Hotline
Suggestions, problems or complaints can be directed to the wing commander’s hotline. The hotline is available by phone at 481-7566 or by e-mail at
hotline@altus.af.mil.
Callers have the option of anonymity, which e-mail from a .mil address forgoes. Direct answers will be provided when requested and contact information is provided.