WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), hosted the men and women who serve at Altus Air Force Base (AFB) and the surrounding community that support them at the 50th Annual Altus Quail Breakfast on Capitol Hill. Other keynote speakers of the event included Michael Donley, Secretary of the U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Gen. Philip Breedlove, Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force. “When this breakfast began 50 years ago, gas was 29 cents per gallon, Dr. King had just given his “I Have A Dream” speech, Jack Nicklaus had won his first Masters golf tournament, and the KC-135 and B-52 production lines had just started to close,” said Inhofe. “Times have changed, but this important breakfast and the Altus community’s annual visit to Washington, D.C. continue to be a long-lasting tradition that I am honored to take part in. During this week’s events, it was wonderful to once again see the good residents of Altus, discuss the future of the base’s missions, and hear about the support of the community in maintaining one of the finest bases in the nation. The city of Altus and Altus AFB play a critical role in assisting the Air Force execute its global operations. “One of the biggest challenges we face right now is the devastating defense cuts contained in President Obama’s most recent budget. As the senior member of SASC, I will do everything I can to make sure our military installations, including Altus, have the capability to meet mission requirements while providing for our nation’s security.” Inhofe continued, “I applaud the city of Altus for their devoted support to Altus AFB. This community understands the true definition of sacrifice and selflessness, and I commend them for their everlasting support to the base as well as our nation’s troops. If more communities were like Altus, I suspect our nation would be a more united one.” Many top Air Force officials attended (the) Quail Breakfast. Both Donley and Breedlove addressed the audience. Both men extolled the important role that Altus and Oklahoma have played in training and equipping the men and women of our military – particularly the Air Force.