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 Aug. 7, 2025.
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 25-13 graduation ceremony was retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Robin Rand. Rand entered the Air Force in 1974 and graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1979. He is a command pilot with over 5,100 flying hours, including more than 480 combat hours. His previous commands include the 36th Fighter Squadron, 12th Air Force and Air Education and Training Command.
Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Maj. Kyle Messmore
Capt. Minh Anh Nguyen
1st Lt. Hunter Cantrell
1st Lt. Daxter Chua
1st Lt. Alexandra Gardner
1st Lt. Bradley Gonzalez
1st Lt. Carlos Halili
1st Lt. Madeline McFadden
1st Lt. Keelyn Osoba
2nd Lt. Isaac Burdick
2nd Lt. Wesley Dimond
2nd Lt. Aaron Erb
2nd Lt. Brita Ilustre
2nd Lt. Daniel McPartland
2nd Lt. David Neal
2nd Lt. John Piwowarski
2nd Lt. Sebastian Rebollar
2nd Lt. Carson Reisinger
2nd Lt. Michael Russell
2nd Lt. Benjamin Silverio
2nd Lt. Benjamin Smith
2nd Lt. Justin Smith
2nd Lt. Matthew Sutfin
2nd Lt. Joseph Thibodeaux
2nd Lt. John Thomson
2nd Lt. Anthony Tressler
2nd Lt. Dylan Walker
2nd Lt. Santiago Zabala
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.