Altus Air Force Base
Altus Air Force Base has been in service starting January 1943 and it is home to the 97th Air Mobility Wing. They have some C-5 aircraft which they use not only for their training operations, but also in real-life air combat. They also have some additional C-17 and KC-135 planes. This base’s primary mission is to “enable global mobility by training airlift and air refueling crews”, as stated by Commander Colonel Carlton D. Everhart II. The base is located in Southwestern Oklahoma, off the beaten track to any city.
The three base logos all depict a flame, similar to the one on the statue of liberty, the symbol of light throughout the night and personal freedom. The namesake for the base is not exactly known – it was simply called this way when work started in 1943.
Altus AFB has very poor housing facilities for newcomer s as it is completely filled with troops, although it is not that larger base. Moreover, the recreational facilities are few and it serves more as a local base, rather than an important one. It trains troops who are willing to attend further studies in the field of airlift and air control missions. Basically and historically speaking, Altus has been the place for educating the emerging pioneers of Air Force activities.
The base receives lots of press, mostly on various occasions such as the recent humanitarian actions of November the 7th, when people from the base catered two families. The base is very important locally, and does not have active missions scheduled for the future.