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97th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron

97th Aircraft Division

97th Aircraft Division

The 97th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron can trace its history back to two inactivated Wings, the 443rd Military Airlift Wing and the 340th Air Refueling Wing, where military personnel performed maintenance on the C-5, C-141 and KC-135 aircraft. On 1 October 1992, the Air Force activated the 97th Air Mobility Wing at Altus AFB replacing both wings. The 97th Air Mobility Wing was first assigned to Air Mobility Command and then, just 7 months later, was reassigned to Air Education and Training Command.

In January 1996, the C-17 was added to the list of aircraft maintained by the 97th's maintainers. In July 1996, as a result of an A-76 study, military aircraft maintenance started conversion to civil service under the 97th Logistics Group. By February 1997, civil service aircraft maintainers under the control of the 97th Logistics Support Group had assumed primary responsibility for all facets of aircraft maintenance from their military counterparts for the C-5, C-141 and KC-135 aircraft.

In August 2002, in a combined inactivation and activation ceremony, the 97th Logistics Group was inactivated and the 97th Maintenance Directorate was formed. During this historic event, the 97th Tanker and Airlift Aircraft Maintenance Flights were re-designated as the 97th Air Mobility Wing Tanker and Airlift Aircraft Maintenance Divisions. In addition all C-17 maintenance was fully converted from military to civilian maintainers.

In January 2007, the 97th Tanker Maintenance Division and the 97th Airlift Aircraft Maintenance Division were combined to form the 97th Aircraft Maintenance Division.

In November 2017, the 97th Aircraft Maintenance Division was renamed to the 97th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

In February 2018, the KC-46 was added to the list of aircraft maintained by the 97 AMW maintainers.

The following Aircraft Maintenance Units make up the Aircraft Maintenance Squadron: KC-135 maintenance, C-17 maintenance, KC-46 Maintenance and Support Flight.  The 97th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron provides safe, reliable aircraft for the Air Force’s C-17, KC-135 and KC-46 formal aircrew training mission. The organization generates over 5,000 sorties and 23,000 flying hours annually, and provides quality flightline maintenance to ensure enduring aircraft availability and long term fleet health.