LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Twenty-five 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 April 30, 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 26-09 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. David Fazenbaker.
Fazenbaker is the Director of Strategy, Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. He is responsible for force structure planning, programming, doctrine and requirements for the nation’s airlift and air refueling force. As a command pilot, Fazenbaker has logged over 4,400 flying hours with more than 500 of those in combat.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
1st Lt. Kate Franzel
2nd Lt. Ryyan Amsden
2nd Lt. Cameron Breier
2nd Lt. Sean Collins
2nd Lt. Matthew Erickson
2nd Lt. Troy Erwin
2nd Lt. Andrew Fischer
2nd Lt. Jacob Golden
2nd Lt. Nicholas Gomezjurado
2nd Lt. Dylan Gong
2nd Lt. Boyd Hancock
2nd Lt. Jason Hearn
2nd Lt. Wyatt Hickman
2nd Lt. Caleb Lancaster
2nd Lt. Brandon Lane
2nd Lt. Amanda Lask
2nd Lt. Donys Maliarchuk
2nd Lt. Karston Modlinski
2nd Lt. Wyatt Montgomery
2nd Lt. Wyatt Peters
2nd Lt. Jocelyn Ratzlaff
2nd Lt. Colby Rupp
2nd Lt. Donovan Sheppard
2nd Lt. Illia Vlasov
2nd Lt. Mitch Whitley
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 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 half 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.