Farm City Week merges farming, flying

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Nathan Clark
  • 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. - --  
The City of Altus and Altus Air Force Base hosted Farm City Week, Nov. 5-7, an event that showcases everyday life for area farmers and Airmen.

This is the 37th annual Farm City Week and approximately 175 Altus community members and Airmen participated in the tours and demonstrations held at the base and various agricultural businesses.

The events started with Airmen seeing the Cotton Grower's Cooperative Gin in Altus; a machine that cultivates the cotton. "We learned a lot about cotton, saw how they take the seeds out and the whole refining process," said Airman 1st Class Mitchell Cummings, a fuel specialist from the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron. "It was a pretty impressive setup."

The tour moved on to see the importance of irrigation systems and how they work. The group learned about the advances of underground irrigation and how important it is to conserve water while the area is in a drought.

The farming portion of the tours closed with a visit to the Altus Peanut Company and rides in the high-tech farming equipment used on local farms. "I definitely appreciate farming more," said Cummings. "I had a lot of fun."

With the evening banquette, and the farm tours complete, the week ended in true Air Force style with an in-flight refueling demonstration. Crews of a KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft and a C-17 Globemaster III cargo aircraft showed members of the local community how the Air Force keeps planes in the air.

As with all flights, the morning started with briefings by Altus AFB medical staff, and U.S. Air Force Col. Sushil Ramrakha, 97th Air Mobility Wing vice wing commander.

For some, this flight has been a long time coming. Loralea Pickering, director of alumni relations at Western Oklahoma State College, is the wife a retired boom operator. "This is my first flight on any non-commercial plane," she said. "I'm excited to see what my husband did for so many years."

The thought of making contact with another plane while flying through the air may scare some people but not Kelly Fisher, secretary for the development and alumni office at WOSC. "I'm not nervous," she said. "I know we have the best trained military in the world and they do this every day. I'm very excited."

Participants in the KC-135 got a chance to lay next to the boom operator as the two planes carried out the refueling process. Those in the C-17 were able to see the process from the flight deck. 

The event highlighted the importance of the agricultural heritage in the region. It will continue as an annual event to educate Airmen living in the area, strengthening the bond between the Altus AFB and the community that supports them.