Photo By Senior Airman Keira Rossman | Members of Class 26-03 celebrate during their graduation ceremony at XL Landings, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, Nov. 25, 2025. Twenty-seven graduates earned their silver wings after completing Laughlin’s Undergraduate Pilot Training program. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Keira Rossman) see less
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Twenty-seven U.S. Air Force officers were awarded the coveted silver wings as a symbol of their hard work and training during a graduation ceremony held Nov. 25, 2025.
Undergraduate Pilot Training is a training program that helps prepare prospective military pilots. Upon completion of the program, graduates earn their silver wings as Air Force aviators.
The guest speaker at the Class 26-03 graduation ceremony was retired U.S. Air Force Brigadier General Buel Dickson, previous Assistant Adjutant General – Air, Montana National Guard, Fort Harrison, Montana and Commander of the Montana Air National Guard. Dickson graduated from the University of Montana in Missoula in 1989 and started his Air Force career by completing pilot training at Columbus Air Force Base, in 1991. He went on to command the 186th Air Squadron, 120th Operations Group, 120th Maintenance Group and the 120th Airlift Wing in Great Falls Montana. Dickson was a command pilot with over 3,500 hours and has served two combat tours in support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH AND IRAQI FREEDOM.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
1st Lt. Jeremy Vallejos
2nd Lt. Raymond Broughman
2nd Lt. Collin Chilton
2nd Lt. Noah Cisnero
2nd Lt. Jared Dickson
2nd Lt. Robert Downing
2nd Lt. Jonathan Duke
2nd Lt. Gregory Estes
2nd Lt. Trace Gorman
2nd Lt. Madison Jackson
2nd Lt. Mason Joubert
2nd Lt. Benjamin Martin
2nd Lt. Thomas May
2nd Lt. Connor Miles
2nd Lt. Ryan Moore
2nd Lt. Travis Nortey
2nd Lt. Hayato Okumura
2nd Lt. Clayton Peeler
2nd Lt. Craig Piazza
2nd Lt. Kevin Sanchez
2nd Lt. Nilesh Sandhu
2nd Lt. Andrew Savage
2nd Lt. Kyle Sistrunk
2nd Lt. James Smith
2nd Lt. Andrew Taylor
2nd Lt. Caleb Wawrzyniak
In addition to the graduation ceremony, a special emphasis was placed on recognizing the sacrifices and contributions of military spouses. It served as a reminder that while the graduates were the ones receiving their wings, their achievements were also a testament to the love, sacrifice and constant support of their spouses, who serve alongside them in spirit and strength.
“Tonight, we not only recognize the accomplishments of our pilots, but we take a moment to celebrate our Air Force spouses.” said Lt. Col. Daniel Garrison, 47th Operations Support Squadron Commander. “While not in uniform, spouses are the backbone of our Air Force community. We thank you for your love and support. We thank you for celebrating with us when we slip the surely bonds of earth. And we thank you for comforting and encouraging us after a flight does not go as planned. Tonight, you and your spouse have crested one of the hardest climbs in an Air Force career and you did it together. But this was just the start.”
In the days leading up to graduation, Laughlin’s aircraft maintainers and student pilots participated in an appreciation ceremony to recognize the partnership between their respective roles. Maintainers presented pilots with the wings they would pin during the graduation event. In return, the student pilots offered their class patch as a token of appreciation. The exchange serves as a reminder that successful flight training is a team effort, supported by the contributions of dedicated personnel across the base.
The ceremony proceeded with the breaking of the wings, a tradition symbolizing the start of a new journey for the novice pilots. According to the tradition, the first pair of wings a pilot receives should never be worn. Instead, the wings should be broken into two halves to invite good fortune throughout the pilot’s aviation career. One half is kept by the pilot, while the other is given to a significant person in their life. To preserve that good luck, those two halves are said to only be brought together again in the next life.
The event culminated in the pinning of the wings, where friends and family members affixed a pair of silver wings onto the graduates’ uniforms. This gesture signified the official transition of the students into winged aviators, fully prepared to embrace the forthcoming roles within the United States Air Force.
Pilot wings are a symbol of hard work, training, and dedication. Aviation wings are issued to pilots who have achieved a certain level of proficiency or training.
More photos from the graduation ceremony can be found on our [Flickr](https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCzWA3).
