Photo By Airman 1st Class Nathan Langston | Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets from Detachment OK-20061 and local...... read more read more
The 58th Airlift Squadron hosted an incentive flight for Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadets and local school board members at Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma, March 3, 2026. The group included 14 cadets from Detachment OK-20061, their instructor, and six school board members from Altus Public Schools and Navajo Public Schools.
The visit began with a briefing on the mission of Altus Air Force Base and the C-17 Globemaster III aircraft, providing cadets and school board members an overview of how the aircraft supports the Air Force’s global airlift mission.
“Visits to operational airfield spaces can expand students’ horizons by providing opportunities they might not otherwise have,” said U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Wes Wheelan, JROTC instructor at Crooked Oak High School. “These flights have an incredible impact for students that can help shape their future careers.” After the briefing, attendees toured the aircraft and received an orientation on flight safety and cargo-compartment procedures before boarding for the incentive flight.
During the flight, cadets observed aircrew duties and spoke with C-17 aircrew members about daily operations and career paths. Pilots from the 58th Airlift Squadron answered questions as cadets rotated forward to speak with them.
The sortie concluded with a full-stop landing, allowing participants to experience the aircraft’s landing and rollout to a complete stop before taxiing.
“Seeing the flight deck up close and hearing how the crew works together made it real,” Josh Brewer, Navajo Public Schools board member said. “It’s one thing to just hear about how the military works, but being in the aircraft watching everything happen is a really neat deal.”
Events like the incentive flight connect community education leaders with the mission and gave cadets a closer look at the teamwork required to generate and fly airlift sorties, from pilots and loadmasters to support agencies on the ground.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.11.2026 11:17 |
| Story ID: | 559907 |
| Location: | ALTUS AIR FORCE BASE, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 7 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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