Mission
Since its activation as a multi-engine flight training school in 1943, Altus Air Force Base has been the cornerstone of southwestern Oklahoma for 80 years. With an average of more than 300 days of weather conducive flying each year and a generally flat landscape with few obstructions, the 97th Air Mobility Wing is the ideal location to carry out its mission: “We Train Exceptional Mobility Airmen.” Now referred to as “Mobility’s Hometown,” the 97th AMW trains over 2,000 air mobility students annually, to include students from 16 different foreign nations. Our vision is that we continue to execute “A Premier Installation Forging the World's Most Inspired, Proficient, and Adaptive Mobility Warriors to Deliver Airpower for America.”
Altus Air Force Base is comprised of four groups and 18 squadrons of Airmen (Active Duty, Reserve, Guard, and Civilian). The wing is also an award-winning installation, winning the Commander in Chief’s Award for Installation Excellence, Major General Eubank Award, Air Force Food Service Excellence Award, Air Force’s Best Patient Safety Program Award, the Department of Defense’s Patient Engagement Award, the AETC Medical Home of the Year, three AETC Safety Awards, 19th Air Force’s Top Gray Tail of the Year, Outstanding Weather Organization Award, and the Aircrew Flight Equipment Large Program of the Year.
The 97th Operations Group oversees the three squadrons directly supporting the wing’s flying-training mission. The 58th Airlift Squadron is comprised of instructor pilots and loadmasters who train Airmen on the C-17 Globemaster III. The 54th Air Refueling Squadron trains pilots and boom operators on the KC-135 Stratotanker. Finally, the 56th Air Refueling Squadron is home to the formal training unit for pilots and boom operators on the Air Force’s newest addition to air mobility: the KC-46 Pegasus. These three air mobility schoolhouses conduct initial and advanced specialty training programs for airland, airdrop, and air refueling mobility forces, providing global reach for combat and contingency operations, as well as relief operations.
The mission support group provides direct mission support to the three mobility aircraft along with base-wide infrastructure, to include communications, civil engineering, law enforcement, force/fire protection, contracting, disaster response, and other agencies to support the mission of the base.
The wing’s medical group ensures maximum wartime readiness and combat capability by promoting the health, safety and morale of active duty personnel, increasing the overall wellness of the base and local community.
The 97th AMW is also home to the unique, all-civilian maintenance group, responsible for all aircraft maintenance, sortie generation and maintenance support for the Air Force’s sole C-17, KC-135 and KC-46 formal aircrew training schools.
The wing commander’s priorities are Airmen, Mission and Culture.
As the wing moves into the twenty-first century, it continues to perform the same basic mission that it started back in 1943, providing a safe and comfortable location to train Airmen on the intricacies of operating multi-engine aircraft.
See: https://www.altus.af.mil/About-Us/
History
Altus Army Airfield 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. It operated bomber and tanker aircraft and maintained 12 Inter-Continental Ballistic Missile sites around southwestern Oklahoma.
Military Airlift Command assumed operations in 1968, making Altus the formal training base for C-5s and C-141s. These large airplanes necessitated a major construction effort including a fuel doc, avionic repair shops, a flight simulator, and alteration of the hangers. The 443rd Military Airlift Wing trained crews at Altus until 1992. Then the Air Force inactivated the 443rd and activated the 97th Air Mobility Wing.
In 1993, Military Airlift Command turned the wing and base over to Air Education and Training Command. Soon after that the KC-135 Combat Crew Training School moved to Altus from Castle AFB, California.
In 2014, the Air Force announced that Altus AFB is the Air Force's KC-46A Pegasus formal training unit. The 97th Air Mobility Wing is new to the airlift mission but has a long bomber/tanker history.
The Wing dates back to 1947, when the Air Force activated Mile 26 Airfield, later Eielson AFB, Alaska. The 97th has operated several B-29 and B-47 variants but flew B-52s for over 30 years. It also pioneered the use of boom-equipped tanker aircraft for the air refueling mission. The Wing has participated in many contingencies and wartime operations. A B-52 from the 97th flew the last bombing mission over Cambodia during the Southeast Asia Conflict. Members of the 97th formed a provisional wing in England in 1991 and flew bombing missions during Desert Storm.
Today, the 97th Air Mobility Wing is home to the Air Force’s sole C-17, KC-135, and KC-46 Formal Training Units.
For more on the history of Altus, visit the installation's homepage.
Population
The Air Force community in Altus, OK is comprised of approximately 5,000 military members, family members, civilian members and retirees.
Altus AFB supports about 2,000 permanent military personnel and trains over 2,000 air mobility students annually, including students from 23 different foreign nations.
Furthermore, about 3,000 military personnel and their families live on base and a large number of military personnel and their families live in the community.
The surrounding community has about 1,000 military retirees who depend on base facilities.
The base provides direct employment for about 2,500 civilian personnel.
Altus is a city located in Jackson County Oklahoma. As of October 2024, Altus has a population of 17,890.
Altus AFB serves Active Duty Military, DoD Civilians, NAF Civilians, Military Families, Retirees, and Widows/ers.
Location
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 Retirees consider cost of living an important factor for picking Altus to spend their retirement years.
See https://www.travelok.com/altus
Directions
Altus OK is located in the southwest corner of Oklahoma at the intersection of US Highway 62 and State Highway 283.
Altus AFB is located east of the City of Altus and the main gate is on Falcon Road.
MapQuest, Google Maps, and Yahoo Maps can provide driving directions to the zip 73521 and the address 308 N. 1st St, which is the Military and Family Readiness Center.
Directions from the Airport
Altus AFB is serviced by either Lawton Municipal Airport or Oklahoma City Will Rogers World Airport.
If you arrive by commercial airline at either airport, and your sponsor does not meet you at the airport, transportation can be arranged with Airport Express Inc at 405-681-3311.
The cost is about $320.75-cost can be split with an additional $3.30 per person riding.
Commercial taxi service Americab Taxi and Courier Inc is available from Lawton Municipal Airport to Altus AFB at 580-355-5555.
The cost is about $150.00 up to four people and $30 per extra passanger beyond the four.
There is a military representative at the Lawton Municipal Airport from 4:30 a.m. until the last flight arrives, usually about 10:30 p.m., if you need assistance.
It is very important to coordinate your travel plans with your sponsor.
Your sponsor can assist you with obtaining transportation from the airport.
Directions if Driving
While driving in Oklahoma, you may enter a turnpike that is a toll road.
Rates vary according to the vehicle you drive and the turnpike you travel.
On some turnpikes, your entry and exit factor into the toll rate.
Manned toll booths have three lane options: Correct Change, Cash, and a lane for PikePass account holders.
You will need correct change at all unmanned toll booths.
Go to the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority website for more information and to see the toll fares/chart for all vehicle classifications and rates on all Oklahoma turnpikes, the latest on current construction on the toll ways, and to get the current traffic advisories.
If you are driving by car, all highways leading to the base are well marked.
When traveling to Altus AFB via U.S. 62, turn north on Veterans Drive and follow the signs leading to the main gate; when traveling to base via State Highway 283, turn east on Falcon Road and follow the signs.
What to do when you arrive at the Altus AFB Main Gate
When you arrive at the main gate, you will need to show them your Military ID Card and identification for each family member/passenger.
They may ask you to enter the Visitor Control Center immediately to your left to get a visitor's pass.
There you will need to show them your military ID card, your Driver’s License, and a copy of your orders.
They may also request to see your Vehicle Registration and Proof of Insurance.
The base gate staff is happy to provide directions to any base location and will give you directions to the 24-hour arrival point, the Red River Inn, Bldg 82, located at 307 B Avenue.
Base Transportation
Currently, there is no base transportation on Altus AFB.
Contact Information
We are no longer using live base operators.
However, you can get base information by contacting the Military & Family Readiness Center at 580-481-6761.
The links below will assist with FSS Services Information:
