Photo By Senior Airman Jarrett Smith | U.S. Air Force Col. Eric Bissonette, 47th Flying Training Wing commander, delivers remarks during the 47th Operations Group assumption of command ceremony at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, June 18, 2026. The 47th OG provides management, control, standardization and evaluation of all aspects of flying training operations and airfield management at Laughlin. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jarrett Smith) 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 their graduation ceremony held June 11, 2026.
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 26-12 graduation ceremony was Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Doyle Turner, who first commissioned into the Air Force in 1991.During his pilot training at Laughlin, he was the top graduate of Class 92-15.When he retired from the Air Force in 2014, he served as the Chief of Line Officer Assignments at the Air Force Personnel Center.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
1st Lt. Grant Afman
2nd Lt. Eusebio Aja
2nd Lt. Kennedy Barnes
2nd Lt. Logan Carlisle
2nd Lt. Vincent Ceffalo
2nd Lt. John Dixon
2nd Lt. Quinn Flachman
2nd Lt. Sherie Gramlich
2nd Lt. Reinhardt Landsberg
2nd Lt. Kyle LaRavia
2nd Lt. Sydney Mazzilli
2nd Lt. Kyle McDonald
2nd Lt. Joseph Palenapa
2nd Lt. Jack Pikulski
2nd Lt. Hannah Plewe
2nd Lt. Sada Pokorny
2nd Lt. Nathaniel Popa
2nd Lt. Primo Reyes
2nd Lt. Kurt Rinehart
2nd Lt. William Singleton
2nd Lt. Samantha Spaziano
2nd Lt. Peyton Stimson
2nd Lt. Graeme Stromsdorfer
2nd Lt. Jacob Tafoya
2nd Lt. Brent Thompson
2nd Lt. Kaleb Turner
2nd Lt. Vincent Wisecarver
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. Aaron Borszich, 47th Student 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’saircraftmaintainers and student pilotsparticipatedin 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 thebase.
The ceremonyproceededwith the breaking of the wings, a tradition symbolizing the start of a new journey for the novice pilots. According to 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 ofproficiencyor training.
