Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Ken Wilsbach and Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force David Wolfe visited Altus Air Force Base on April 16, 2026, using the trip to take in what senior leaders called “Mobility’s Hometown.” Joined by Mrs. Cindy Wilsbach and Dr. Doniel Wolfe, the pair spent the day with the 97th Air Mobility Wing, where they toured the flightline, received a mission brief and addressed the base during an all call.
Wilsbach said the mission begins at Altus, where Airmen train mobility air crews and keep aircraft ready for the fight. “Nothing happens without the aircraft here and the maintainers who fix these aircraft,” he said, adding that “not a single jet would get to the fight” without the logistics and air mobility assets behind them. The message landed before roughly 1,020 Airmen, civilians, contractors and family members, who gathered for the all call to hear from the service’s top uniformed leaders.
The visit also put Altus’ operational reach on display. Senior leaders were briefed on the wing’s role in large-scale efforts including Operation Midnight Hammer and Operation Epic Fury, and they spent time with Airmen across multiple career fields on the flightline. Wilsbach and Wolfe also immersed themselves in the capabilities of the C-17 Globemaster III, the KC-135 Stratotanker and the KC-46 Pegasus, aircraft central to the base’s daily work and to the broader mobility mission.
Col. Richard Kind, the 97th Air Mobility Wing commander, said the wing’s work reflects the force behind it. “The awesome things we do at this wing are a testament to the dedication and professionalism of our Airmen,” he said. “Their commitment ensures we can deliver unrivaled air mobility capabilities anytime, anywhere.” The wing’s mission is to develop the decisive Mobility Force of the Future, and the April 16 visit underscored how much of that future still runs through Altus.
What the trip made plain is that Altus is not a symbolic stop on the Air Force map. It is where the pipeline starts, where crews are trained, and where the aircraft, maintainers and logistics network are tied together before they are needed anywhere else.
