LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- 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 May 3, 2024.
Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) 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 24-09 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Matteo Martemucci, Deputy Chief, Central Security Service, National Security Agency. With over two decades of military experience, Martemucci is an accomplished leader in intelligence and cyberspace operations. He has commanded at various levels and deployed in support of operations such as Decisive Endeavor and Iraqi Freedom. Fluent in Czech and proficient in Italian and Spanish, he is a qualified European Foreign Area Officer and a seasoned military parachutist. Martemucci, recognized for his expertise in cyber strategy and policy, has served as the Director of Intelligence for U.S. Cyber Command. Apart from serving as the keynote speaker at the graduation ceremony, Martemucci was also attending his son's graduation from Laughlin's pilot training program.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Capt. Michael Pessalano
Capt. James Rick
1st Lt. Yi Da Chiam
1st Lt. Cezar Sabiuta
2nd Lt. Mackenzie Adkins
2nd Lt. Hunter Bleakney
2nd Lt. Willie Blevins
2nd Lt. Julia Bradley
2nd Lt. Francesco Cico
2nd Lt. Levi Cope
2nd Lt. Isadora Germain
2nd Lt. Charles Howard
2nd Lt. Jack Johnson
2nd Lt. Miles Kelley
2nd Lt. Dalton Lantz
2nd Lt. Mario Martemucci
2nd Lt. Robert Martin
2nd Lt. Nicholas Mazzola
2nd Lt. Tyler Parke
2nd Lt. Austin Patel
2nd Lt. Cole Raymond
2nd Lt. Brian Sacco
2nd Lt. Robert Strollo
2nd Lt. Joffrey Theret
2nd Lt. Robert Vadnais
2nd Lt. Pieter Wemaes
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.
“Military spouses are often said to ‘live in the shadows’,” said Maj. Kris Lieber, 47th Student Squadron director of operations and T-6A Texan II instructor pilot. “Although not in uniform, spouses have an essential role to play and are the backbone of the military community. Tonight is about your pilots earning their wings, but also a recognition of you. Your love, sacrifice and ad nauseam quizzing of bold face procedures has not gone unnoticed.”
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.