LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Twenty-four U.S. Air Force and Japanese officers were awarded the coveted silver wings as symbol of their hard work and training during a graduation ceremony held Feb. 26, 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 26-06 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Col. Joseph McCane. McCane is the Commander of the 47th Operations Group, Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas. He is responsible for overseeing the direct training of Air Force pilots and allied partners, while also leading 1,100 active duty, civilian and reserve personnel. As a command pilot, McCane has logged over 5,800 hours in eight different aircrafts, including over 1,500 combat hours.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Capt. Zachary Beneda
Capt. Alexander Dahl
Capt. Joshua Wakefield
1st Lt. Michael Cheney
2nd Lt. Matthew Andrews
2nd Lt. Alexander Antonakos
2nd Lt. Samuel Bellairs
2nd Lt. Holden Brosnan
2nd Lt. Perry Burkett
2nd Lt. Eduardo Camareno Vargas
2nd Lt. D’ondre Gumbs
2nd Lt. Kaleb Harp
2nd Lt. Nicholas Martin
2nd Lt. Timothy Martin
2nd Lt. Samuel Mathis
2nd Lt. Connor McIntee
2nd Lt. Takase Noda
2nd Lt. Timothy O’Hara-Haworth
2nd Lt. Satoshijieimi Owada
2nd Lt. Deshaun Pooler
2nd Lt. Jacob Pucci
2nd Lt. Jacob Sibayan
2nd Lt. Frank Song
2nd Lt. Andrew Young
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.