Graduating the future of flight: Class 24-11 Published June 25, 2024 By Airman 1st Class Harrison Sullivan 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Thirty 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 June 21, 2024. 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 24-11 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Mark Dillon, Vice Commander, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, and the Deputy Theater Air Component Commander to the Commander, U.S. Pacific Command. General Dillon was commissioned in 1984 through Officer Training School. He began his career as a space shuttle systems engineer. A distinguished graduate from undergraduate pilot training, General Dillon has commanded at the squadron, group, and twice at the wing level. His staff assignments include: Headquarters U.S. Air Force, U.S. Transportation Command liaison to U.S. Southern Command, United Nations Command/U.S. Forces Korea, and his current position. General Dillon is a command pilot with more than 3,500 flying hours in the KC-10, C-5, T-38, C-17, C-130J and KC-135. Maj. Gen Dillon is also the father of 2nd Lt. Jack Dillion who graduated June 21, 2024. Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were: Maj. Van Canh Tran Capt. Brennan Jones Capt. Benjamin Rodgers 1st Lt. Bowen Lin 2nd Lt. Zachary Argo 2nd Lt. Wyatt Boswell 2nd Lt. Kyle Capogna 2nd Lt. Crystal Cash 2nd Lt. Blake Cerney 2nd Lt. Jaden Dapilmoto 2nd Lt. Jack Dillion 2nd Lt. Alex Ehrenstein 2nd Lt. Isaac Fisher 2nd Lt. Wyatt Foote 2nd Lt. Grady Gills 2nd Lt. Antonio Izquierdo 2nd Lt. Riley Jones 2nd Lt. Alexandra Mucci 2nd Lt. Emily Mueller 2nd Lt. Bradley Owens 2nd Lt. Aaron Pang 2nd Lt. Shane Pierson 2nd Lt. Alexandra Prusak 2nd Lt. Camila Quintero Hilsaca 2nd Lt. Josh Rivera 2nd Lt. Matthew Simmons 2nd Lt. Alexander Van Cleave 2nd Lt. Michael Whittaker 2nd Lt. Nathan Wiley 2nd Lt. Ashton Wright 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. “Military spouses are often said to ‘live in the shadows’,” said Lt Col. Libby Music, Commander of the 47th Student Squadron. “Although not in uniform, spouses have an essential role to play and are the backbone of the military community. Tonight is about your pilots earning their wings, but also a recognition of you. Your love, sacrifice and ad nauseam quizzing of bold face procedures has not gone unnoticed.” 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.