Altus training operations begin to recover from ice storm

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Chris Powell
  • Defense Media Activity - San Antonio
ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. (AFNS) --  Looking at Altus Air Force Base, the only signs of this year's ice storm are limbless trees that had to be trimmed down after the storm covered the base in a thick sheet of ice.

However, members of the 97th Training Squadron are just now recovering from its lingering effects.

The ice storm hit Altus AFB Jan. 28 and knocked out power to the base for more than a week, forcing wing leadership to create a temporary shelter and evacuate the base until it was safe for members to return.

The storm forced squadron officials to suspend training operations for nearly 300 student loadmasters, boom operators, and KC-135 Stratotanker and C-17 Globemaster III pilots that caused delays in graduations.

On average, students were graduating about eight or nine days late," said Maj. Stephen Anderson, the 97th TRS chief of training. "By the end of the month, all of our students will be back on schedule, and operations will continue as normal."

Squadron leaders worked with representatives at Boeing, the aircraft simulators and on the flightline to develop a new training plan.

"We had to work with the contractors who run the simulators and the academic training to build a new plan to get all the students back in line," said the Maj. Max Bremer, 97th TRS director of operations. "Once the contractors were done (training) them, they went to the flightline. We had to create a plan to build sorties for each individual student working on the KC-135 and C-17."

97th TRS leaders decided the quickest way to get student training back on schedule was to extend training to six days a week.

"We ramped up our efforts to fly additional sorties on Saturdays, because that was the easiest way to move students through training to get them back to their families and units on time," Major Anderson said.

Despite an increased workload, Major Bremer said everyone came together to ensure the students received the training they needed.

"When we had to start working extra days on the weekends, it (took) a good attitude by everyone to understand that the mission came first," he said. "I think the 97th Air Mobility Wing as whole came together and did a great job."

That hard work and attitude didn't go unnoticed by the trainees, either.

"We need to get out to our bases and start working as quickly as possibly," said Senior Airman Afsheen Saatchi, a C-17 loadmaster trainee. "They got the dorms ready for us to move back in and classes ready to resume very quickly. We have them to thank for that."