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.
The Manpower and Organization office is dedicated to supplying innovative management services to help the wing manage its manpower resources. In addition, they act as the focal point for the Wing's Best Practice program and Air Force Productivity programs.
The 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.
The Airman and Family Readiness Flight provides active duty members, retirees, DoD civilians and their families a wide range of services: relocation, information and referral assistance, Air Force Aid, financial guidance, spouse employment, transition, and Family and Life skills. It is a support base for families when the sponsor is away. The Airmen and Family Readiness Center also provides Base Leadership with consultation services and resources to enhance quality of life and mission readiness.
The Child and Youth 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.
The Force Development 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 Airman's Center for Airmen that are experiencing their first duty station and also the Airmen's Leadership School as Airmen prepare to advance into the ranks of non-commissioned officers. Our career assistance 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.
The 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.
The Resource Management Flight offers financial and Information Technology (IT) support for the squadron. The flight manages an annual budget of $1.4M in APF operating funds across two MAJCOMs and 27 operating activities. We oversee 17 Government Purchase Card master accounts and manage the NAF Purchase Card program and NAF Contracting requirements. The NAF Accounting Office prepares all NAF financial statements, processes payroll for NAF employees, and acts as the central cashier for all NAF activities. Our IT section supports over 400 desktop PC's and Laptops, as well as over 70 public PC's on 12 servers. In addition to providing support to the standard ".mil" user, FSS IT also configures, installs, and maintains a separate ".com" network.
The Marketing 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.
For more information visit https://www.altusfss.com/
(Updated as of November 2021)