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 June 18, 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 25-11 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Colonel David M. Skalicky, 33rd Fighter Wing commander, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Skalicky oversees F-35 Lightning II pilot training at Eglin AFB and Ebbing ANGB, F-35 maintenance training for U.S. and allied forces and joint air battle manager and intelligence training at Tyndall AFB and Eglin. Commissioned through ROTC at the University of Minnesota, Skalicky holds degrees in Aerospace Engineering, International Relations and National Security Strategy. He is a graduate of Euro-NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training and has commanded at the squadron, group, and wing levels, including the 90th Fighter Squadron and 354th Operations Group. Skalicky has deployed to the INDOPACOM and CENTCOM regions and served as an ACC Inspector General operations inspector. A command pilot, he has over 2,900 flight hours in the F-35A, F-22A, and F-15C/D, including combat missions.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
1st Lt. Matthew Floreske
1st Lt. Brittany Stanley
1st Lt. Caden Wolfson
2nd Lt. Tesla Alford III
2nd Lt. Turki Talal Almalki
2nd Lt. Frederik Arvay
2nd Lt. Ezekiel Bolze
2nd Lt. Nathan Fish
2nd Lt. Charles Frampton
2nd Lt. Jaroslav Gahura
2nd Lt. Corey Hatton
2nd Lt. Dalton Hongell
2nd Lt. Channing Johnson
2nd Lt. Weston Lines
2nd Lt. Thomas McLean III
2nd Lt. Flavian Mihale
2nd Lt. Lucas Moisica
2nd Lt. James Rogers
2nd Lt. Jack Shirley
2nd Lt. Micah Showalter
2nd Lt. Garet Smolik
2nd Lt. Shaun Stafford
2nd Lt. Julian Tallman
2nd Lt. Emma Ullius
2nd Lt. Harrison Ure
2nd Lt. Jonathan Whitcomb
2nd Lt. Nicholas Williams
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’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.