LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Twenty-eight 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 Dec. 6, 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 25-03 graduation ceremony was Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Scott Croxton, a distinguished veteran with over 35 years of service. Croxton began his career in 1986 as an enlisted member of the Virginia Air National Guard, later commissioning in 1992 through Officer Training School. A graduate of Euro-NATO Undergraduate Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, he amassed over 3,000 flying hours in the F-16 and F-22, with combat experience in multiple operations, including PROVIDE COMFORT, NORTHERN WATCH, and IRAQI FREEDOM. Throughout his career, Croxton held command positions at the squadron and group levels and served on staff at Air Combat Command and the National Guard Bureau. He retired in 2020 as the Chief of Staff, Florida Air National Guard, leaving a legacy of excellence and dedication to the nation.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Capt. Austin Hunt
Capt. Patrick Rauker
Capt. Ghaith Ibrahimy
2nd Lt. Taiwo Adebimpe
2nd Lt. Cameron Allan
2nd Lt. Drake Barberii
2nd Lt. Alejandro Benavidez
2nd Lt. Megan Cadotte-Seehusen
2nd Lt. Conor Callaghan
2nd Lt. Aidan Campbell
2nd Lt. Landon Chandler
2nd Lt. Kyle Condon
2nd Lt. Tanner Croxton
2nd Lt. Lucas Donahue
2nd Lt. Ivan Gonzalez-Cervantes
2nd Lt. Matthew Hamilton
2nd Lt. William Ide
2nd Lt. Caelan Johnson
2nd Lt. Jacqueline Kall
2nd Lt. Andrew Morell
2nd Lt. Kyle Neubauer
2nd Lt. Kenneth Prince
2nd Lt. Paul Robbins
2nd Lt. Jacob Romanyak
2nd Lt. John Schrader
2nd Lt. Amrit Singh
2nd Lt. Edgar Valerio
2nd Lt. Kelsey Webb
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 Lt. Col. Imran Khan, 85th Flying Training Squadron commander. “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.