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 July 17, 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 25-12 graduation ceremony was retired U.S. Air Force Col. Robert F. Haas Jr. Haas served 27 years as a command pilot in the F-117A, F-16 and T-38A aircrafts logging over 2,500 flight hours. His combat experience includes Operations Joint Guardian, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Haas previously served as commander of the 80th Flying Training Wing at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Maj. Patrick Phillippi
1st Lt. Marcus Tan
2nd Lt. Ethan Ashford
2nd Lt. Brandon Blackwood
2nd Lt. Wyatt Brink
2nd Lt. Michael Burch
2nd Lt. Ryan Doughty
2nd Lt. Joseph Dunbar
2nd Lt. Eyan Fisher
2nd Lt. Shawn Habibi
2nd Lt. Logan Hall
2nd Lt. Dominic Hatfield
2nd Lt. Bradley Hawkins
2nd Lt. Caleb Hertzler
2nd Lt. Kyle Jonhson
2nd Lt. Dylan Jones
2nd Lt. William Lambert
2nd Lt. Michael Leidohff
2nd Lt. Bode Mergler
2nd Lt. Jack Murphy
2nd Lt. Lisa Nardozzi
2nd Lt. Carlos Rivera
2nd Lt. Samuel St. Clair
2nd Lt. Daitin Stark
2nd Lt. Olivia Tobin
2nd Lt. Cameron Vail
2nd Lt. Krishna Vasudev
2nd Lt. Anthony Winder
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. Bendel Rushing, 434th Flying Training 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.