The 97th Force Support Squadron's lineage began Sept. 11, 1947, when the unit was first activated as Squadron D, 97th Airdrome Group at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. The unit also served at Biggs AFB, Texas and Eaker AFB, Ark. before moving to Altus AFB, Okla. where it was aligned under the 97th Mission Support Group. On May 5, 2008, the unit was re-designated as the 97th Force Support Squadron.
The squadron is comprised of ten flights which supports the training, airlift and refueling missions of the 97th Air Mobility Wing by providing premier manpower, civilian personnel, military personnel, lodging, dining, education, professional development, library, family support, child care and leisure services.
Military Personnel
Handles all personnel issues pertaining to active-duty, reserve and retired service members and their dependents. Included in the military personnel areas of responsibility are: assignments, separations, retirements, decorations, evaluations, promotions, deployment processing, reenlistments, extensions, training, ID Cards, DEERS updates and squadron in-processing.
Civilian Personnel
Provides advice and assistance to commanders and supervisors on federal personnel rules, regulations and procedures concerning Department of the Air Force, Department of Defense and Non-Appropriated Fund employees for the following areas: recruitment, training, labor relations, compensation and conduct/discipline.
Manpower and Organization
The flight serves as Day “1” Consultants providing comprehensive manpower and organization management capability to commanders by advising on optimal resource utilization through data gathering and statistical analysis. These services include managing manpower requirements and organization structure on the Unit Manpower Document, application of manpower determinants, management advisory/consulting services, wartime manpower support, and manages the wing process improvement programs.
Sustainment Services Flight
Provides lodging for temporary duty and transient personnel, operates dining facilities for the enlisted work force and aircrew, and provides fitness and sports programs, activities, and facilities for all assigned personnel. The Hangar 97 Dining Facility provides high quality hot, nutritious food service to all enlisted and aircrew personnel annually in support of the Air Force readiness and peacetime mission. The Red River Inn annually accommodates 2,980 guests staying 53K bed-nights in 226 rooms throughout nine buildings. The Fitness Center improves the quality of life and morale while preparing the military personnel for deployments by displaying excellence in physical fitness and athletic programming and competition.
Military and Family Readiness Flight
Provides active duty members, retirees, DoD civilians and their families a wide range of services: relocation, information and referral assistance, financial guidance, spouse employment, transition, and Personal/Work/Life skills. It is a support base for families when the sponsor is away. The Military & Family Readiness Center also provides Base Leadership with consultation services and resources to enhance quality of life and mission readiness.
Child and Youth Flight
The flight includes the Child Development Center, the Youth Center, and School Liaison Program Manager. They are responsible for providing child development services, a broad spectrum of recreational and educational opportunities youth and their families. The School Liaison Program Manager also facilitates a smooth transition for military families and assists with school-related matters for the families of Altus AFB.
Force Development Flight
The flight offers a variety of professional development, educational services, and support to Team Altus members. The flight has a broad academic offering for enlisted, officers, civilians and their dependents
in furthering their education. Additionally, the flight provides professional military education through the First Term Enlisted Course for Airmen that are experiencing their first duty station, as well as the three tiers of the Enlisted Foundations course. Force Development Flight also provides Airman Leadership School, as Airmen prepare to advance into the ranks of non-commissioned officers, they must complete Airman Leadership School. Our Development Advisor is available to all military and civilian employees on the base to guide them in choosing their career paths and offering continuing professional education classes to further their knowledge, skills and abilities. The Altus AFB Library supports the community through their services, providing education and reading materials for all ages.
Community Services Flight
Provides efficient, solvent, affordable, adaptable and customer-driven integrated food, outdoor recreation, bowling, golf and community-driven programs. Additionally, the flight provides leisure-time facilities and equipment to meet the social and recreational needs of the Altus community. Leisure-time facilities include Club Altus, Freedom Community Center, Outdoor Recreation, Galaxy Bowling Center, Windy Trails Golf Course, Framing & Engraving shop, Auto Skills Development Center, Swimming Pool, and Archery range.
Resource Management Flight
The RM flight provides financial and Information Technology (IT) support for the squadron. The flight manages appropriated budgets and expenditures for 7 flights within the squadron, ensuring members have the resources needed to meet mission requirements. The NAF Accounting Office oversees financial operations for all Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) activities, processes payroll for NAF employees, and acts as the central cashier depository. Our IT section supports over 300 end users. In addition to supporting standard administrative .mil users, FSS IT maintains an internal commercial network that provides support to NAF revenue generating operations.
Marketing Department
The department is here to spread the word about the Force Support Squadron and all the activities and resources that we offer. We gather information from each of the flights with regard to upcoming activities and events on base and then create flyers, posters and other advertising material to let the base know what's going on. In addition, we've harnessed the power of the internet and social networking sites, such as Facebook and Instagram, to reach the maximum number of people possible. We put our flyers on our website and mobile application along with menus, hours of operation and other important base wide information. In addition to marketing our materials, we take pictures at events, and assist Activity Managers with marketing plans to ensure that we get the word out to the max number of people in ample time to ensure max participation at our events.
(Current as of March 2025)