ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --
Members of Altus Air Force Base and the local community drove approximately 20 Longhorn cattle throughout the base during the 18th annual Cattle Drive, Aug. 25, 2016.
The cattle drive started at the main gate and made its way past the flightline, the 97th Training Center, through base housing and finally to the youth center and Rivers Elementary School.
During the cattle drive, base military leaders saddled up with cowboys and cowgirls, participating in the 39th annual Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association Great Plains Stampede Rodeo and drove the cattle approximately 3.5 miles around the base.
“Nowhere else in the Air Force have I seen something like this,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Bryan Wood, 97th Operations Group commander. “It’s a great event and the base gets up for it.”
The base cattle drive is unique to Altus AFB and signifies the start of the rodeo week in the city of Altus. Each year, the cattle herded through the base gates are driven from a local ranch to the rodeo grounds to participate in competitions. The tradition began on Aug. 26, 1999 with 15 riders to herd the cattle through the base and has grown since to become the base-community event it is today.
With Airmen and cowboys being in close range in this region their cultures fluently come together during this unique event.
“This even is a phenomenal,” said Chief Master Sgt. Philp Eckenrod “This really shows how the community embraces the Airmen here at Altus and the relationship that we have here is probably the best community relation in the Air Force.”