Tinker AFB Commander speaks at Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics event

In 1910, aviator Charles Willard flew a flimsy Curtiss Pusher bi-plane over the Capitol Hill District in Oklahoma City ushering in the very beginning of flight in Oklahoma. Nearly 116 years later, Tinker Air Force Base broke ground for a new hangar for the most modern strategic bomber in the world two months ago. Col. Cisco Harris, Tinker Installation and 72nd Air Base Wing commander, was a guest speaker at the Oklahoma Department of Aerospace and Aeronautics event Oct. 6 at the Oklahoma Historical Society at the state’s Capitol Hill. “Oklahoma’s aerospace and defense isn’t just growing, it’s soaring,” Harris said. “Whether it’s preparing for the upgrade of the B-52 with its 1950s technology or welcoming the most advanced bomber, the B-21 Raider, both of these aircraft demand a new, multi-generational approach from depot-level maintenance and advanced manufacturing.” “We’re so proud of Tinker Air Force Base,” said Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, ”It is the headquarters of the Air Force Sustainment Center, and it is home to the largest maintenance operation in the world. Beyond its critical national security mission, Tinker is also the largest single site employer in the state of Oklahoma.” Harris went on to say that with the unwavering support of the surrounding communities, Tinker is building the U.S. military’s first Sixth Generation Bomber Maintenance Campus in the world. The commander then focused on the people of Tinker Air Force Base. The are more than 25,000 Airmen, Sailors, Soldiers, Marines and civilians working within the fenceline of the base. Harris said the talent cultivated through the Tinker gates, flows across Oklahoma, reinforcing supply chains and enabling our partners and economy to thrive. The commander then evoked the spirit of the Winnie Mae, the aircraft flown by Oklahoma’s first aviation pioneer Wiley Post, who taught us to look toward the horizon. “We are an unmatched workforce,” he said. “At Tinker, we are the living, breathing result of that focus. We are Oklahoma’s largest single-site employer but, these world-class artisans, engineers and professionals are the human capital that anchors the Oklahoma City node of our state’s Space Triangle.” During its State of the Base event earlier this year, Tinker AFB reported an $8.6 billion direct and indirect combined economic impact on the state For FY25. This includes $2.9 billion in payroll, $283 million in construction spending, and more than $1.44 billion in locally produced goods and services.

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