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Thirty students receive their wings during ceremony at Vance

  • Published
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Thirty students in Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 24-10 received their wings during a ceremony held June 7 at Vance Air Force Base.

Twenty-six of the newly pinned pilots completed their initial aviation training in the T-6A Texan II and will continue in either the T-1A Jayhawk or the T-38C Talon training programs at Vance. Four of the pilots completed their initial aviation training in the T-1A and will continue at their next base.

The guest speaker at the Class 24-10 graduation ceremony was retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Rudolf Peksens. His last active-duty assignment was as the director of strategy, policy and plans for Headquarters U.S. Southern Command, Quarry Heights, Panama. Peksens is a command pilot with nearly 3,900 flight hours, 600 of those in combat. He has flown the B-52, F-4 and the F-16.

Class 24-10 award winners were:
2nd Lt. Justin Harris and 2nd Lt. Eden Moyal received the Academic Award;
Capt. Parker Hammond received the Leadership Award;
2nd Lt. James Baumstark received the Flying Training Award, the Air Education & Training Command Commander’s Trophy and was named a Distinguished Graduate;
2nd Lt. Dylan Todd received the Wingman Award;
2nd Lt. Liam Bilek was named a Distinguished Graduate.

Also receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Maj. Kevin Gard; Capts. James Daly, Lane Sullivan; 2nd Lts. Ernest Anderson, Joseph Buswinka, Jacob     Byers, Mitchell Byers, Caleb Cheshire, Luke Eafano, Joshua Grayson, Bailey Hill, Daniel Huntsman, Mark Javornik, Hunter Jennings, Noor Khan, Brennen Kim, Ricardo Moura Camacho, Gregory Nicodemus, Kai Robinson, Kevin Saunders, Hunter Smart, Reed Way, Theodore West and Charlotte Wilkes.