Boots on the Ground: Altus Command Team Sees How 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels the Mission in Hands-On Tour Published March 17, 2026 By Airman 1st Class Emma Wright 97th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- The 97th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) command team continued their series of hands-on immersion tours Feb. 25, 2026, this time with the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS). U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Kind, 97th Air Mobility Wing (AMW) commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jonny Adams, 97th AMW command chief, talk with members of the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron (LRS) at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Feb. 25, 2026. As a part of the 97th AMW command team’s hands-on immersion tour with the 97th LRS, they took part in an interactive discussion with members of the Individual Protective Equipment team which fostered collaboration and strengthened their understanding of the 97th LRS operations. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emma Wright) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res Throughout the tour, the 97th LRS displayed their capabilities of delivering comprehensive logistics in support of the C-17 Globemaster III, KC-135 Stratotanker, and KC-46 Pegasus Formal Training Units, providing aircraft fuels, air operations, vehicle operations and maintenance, traffic management, supply management and warehousing, and installation deployments. As the command team carried out the hands-on tour, it was evident the 97th LRS defines what it means to operate the installation and keep Mobility’s Hometown mission-ready. “For us, it’s not just about moving cargo, issuing parts, managing fuels, or maintaining vehicles—it’s about synchronizing every logistics capability to ensure the Wing can generate combat airpower without hesitation,” said U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Omar Spivey, 97th LRS senior enlisted leader. “When the Wing launches aircraft, graduates aircrew, or supports global operations, it does so on a logistics foundation built by the 97 LRS. Operating the installation means ensuring that foundation is strong, resilient, and ready—every day, every mission.” U.S. Air Force Col. Richard Kind, 97th Air Mobility Wing commander, operates a Driving Simulator at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Feb. 25, 2026. Guided by members of the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron, Kind simulated driving a variety of vehicle types, in different scenarios and shifting procedures. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emma Wright) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res For Col. Richard Kind, 97th AMW commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jonny Adams, 97th AMW command chief, the tour began with members of the Ground Transportation Section, where Staff Sgt. Heather Grigg, 97th LRS ground transportation support non-commissioned officer in charge, demonstrated the Driving Simulator, showcasing a variety of vehicle types, scenarios and shifting procedures. Furthermore, she highlighted Ground Transportation’s newly adopted AI virtual vehicle inspection platform, illustrating the 97th LRS’s commitment to innovative techniques that promote safety and enhance readiness. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Ouswatoy Mamoudou Imorou, 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron individual protective equipment journeyman, left, demonstrates disassembling a weapon to Col. Richard Kind, 97th Air Mobility Wing commander, right, at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, Feb. 25, 2026. Mamoudou led the 97th AMW command team through a simulation of issuing weapons for deployment and clearing them as well as illustrating the disassembling, reassembling and function-checking procedures. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Emma Wright) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res From there, the command team proceeded to engage with members of the Individual Protective Equipment team, where Senior Airman Ouswatoy Mamoudou Imorou, 97th LRS individual protective equipment journeyman, led them through a simulation of issuing weapons for deployment and clearing them. Mamoudou also demonstrated disassembling, reassembling and function-checking procedures. The tour included a friendly competition to see which member of the command team could complete the assembly and function check fastest, followed by an interactive discussion that fostered collaboration and strengthened the command team’s understanding of the 97th LRS operations. The next and final stop on the hands-on tour was with members of the Fuels Management Flight, where Staff Sgt. Christopher Fairchild, 97th LRS fuels laboratory non-commissioned officer in charge, explained the process of receiving fuel and taking samples from those receipts to verify quality. With assistance from the command team, he demonstrated how one conducts the bottle method fuel tests, featuring tools such as the Optiflash and the Digital Conductivity Meter. Not only did these tests illustrate how the 97th LRS ensure the fuel being delivered is up to par, but also highlight their pattern of forward-thinking initiatives and invaluable role in maintaining safe and efficient operations of the 97th Air Mobility Wing. “The members of the 97th Logistics Readiness Squadron are the backbone of everything we do,” said Kind. “From providing aircraft fuels to operating every aspect of supply management and warehousing, our mission cannot be completed without their expertise, precision and commitment to readiness every single day.”