Altus Air Force Base News

 

Academy cadets visit Altus AFB

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Franklin R. Ramos
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  Every summer U.S. Air Force Academy cadets take a visit to the 97th Air Mobility Wing. The intent of the visit was to give the cadets an eye-opening experience of different Air Force career fields.

Twenty-nine cadets split into three groups to tour various sections throughout each of the wing's groups.

"I think it is very important for the cadets to get out and interact with active duty officers and enlisted folks," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Dave Schuster, 97th Operations Group standardizations and evaluations assistant flight commander. "It provides them with great insights into a variety of career fields and can be very helpful for them when they decide what career field they wish to enter."

The purpose of the program is for cadets to experience firsthand the world they will soon be entering. Cadets are sent to bases as diverse as Aviano Air Base, Italy, to Altus AFB. While bases overseas have their obvious appeal, a smaller or more rural base can also be rewarding.

"The operations group tour included flights on both the C-17 Globemaster III [cargo aircraft] and KC-135 Stratotanker [refueling aircraft]," said U.S. Air Force Maj. Daniel Godwin, 58th Airlift Squadron chief executive officer. "The mission support group consisted of talks with the logistics readiness squadron, a civil engineering representative and a morning with security forces."

"Working with the future leaders of the Air Force was a great experience for me," said Schuster. "I hope they enjoyed the program that we put together and they gained information and experiences that will benefit them in their remaining years at the academy and in their future Air Force careers."