The 97th Airdrome Squadron was constituted on 1 April 1943 and activated on 5 April 1943. It was then inactivated on 10 November 1947 and disbanded on 8 October 1948. The squadron was reconstituted and consolidated on 29 August 1991 as the 97th Operations Squadron, which was constituted on 22 April 1959. It reactivated on 1 July 1959, then was discontinued and inactivated again on 1 January 1962. Afterwards, it was redesignated as the 97th Operations Support Squadron on 29 August 1991, reactivated on 1 September 1991, inactivated on 1 June 1992, then reactivated again on 1 October 1992.
On 15 February 2002, the student administration section, quality assurance section, and two training flights of the 97th Operations Support Squadron were split from the unit and formed into the 97th Training Squadron.
Currently, the 97th Operations Support Squadron, consisting of officer, enlisted, and civilian personnel, manages the wing's $213 million, 20,284 hour flying program for over 277 instructors and 1,937 C-17, KC-135, and KC-46 students annually. The unit provides direct support to three flying squadrons and operates six flights to include airfield operations, current operations, aircrew flight equipment, intelligence, tactics and weather.
In 2008, the unit won the Secretary of Defense CINC Installation Excellence-Special Recognition award. In 2009, the unit won the Air Education and Training Command Chief of Staff of the Air Force Team Excellence and Top Operations Squadron awards. In 2010, the unit won the Oklahoma AFA Military Unit of the Year. In 2011, 2014, and recently 2023, the unit won the Air Education and Training Command’s Top Operations Squadron.
(Updated as of February 2025)