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 29, 2025.
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 25-10 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Travolis Simmons, director of training and readiness, deputy chief of staff for operations at Headquarters U.S. Air Force, the Pentagon, Arlington, Virginia.
Simmons graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alabama and received his commission through ROTC as a Distinguished Graduate in 1997. He earned his pilot wings at Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas. Simmons is a command pilot with more than 2,100 flying hours in the F-16 C/D, F-117A and F-22A. He has commanded at the squadron, group and wing levels. Additionally, he also held multiple joint, combined and Air Force staff positions.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Capt. Jacob Anderson
Capt. George Beals
Capt. Blake Jones
Capt. David Linn
Capt. Jonathan Mathews
1st Lt. Audra Blazicko
1st Lt. Marian Bulak
1st Lt. Christina Lowell
2nd Lt. Meshal Abdulrahm Aldawood
2nd Lt. Spencer Anderson
2nd Lt. Adam Blevins
2nd Lt. Lindsey Deutsch
2nd Lt. Alfred Flowers III
2nd Lt. Gage Garrett
2nd Lt. Tyler Haake
2nd Lt. Samuel Horak
2nd Lt. Brooks Horton
2nd Lt. Andrew Kuypers
2nd Lt. Samuel Meagher
2nd Lt. Quinten Moshy
2nd Lt. Lance Nichols
2nd Lt. Jake Pringle
2nd Lt. Benjamin Rutledge
2nd Lt. Kyle Schildgen
2nd Lt. Matus Steucek
2nd Lt. Donovan Williams
2nd Lt. Anna Wise
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.”
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.