Graduating the future of flight: Class 25-03 Published Dec. 6, 2024 By Senior Airman Keira Rossman 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs 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 Dec. 6, 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 25-03 graduation ceremony was Brig. Gen. (Ret.) Scott Croxton, a distinguished veteran with over 35 years of service. Croxton began his career in 1986 as an enlisted member of the Virginia Air National Guard, later commissioning in 1992 through Officer Training School. A graduate of Euro-NATO Undergraduate Pilot Training at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, he amassed over 3,000 flying hours in the F-16 and F-22, with combat experience in multiple operations, including PROVIDE COMFORT, NORTHERN WATCH, and IRAQI FREEDOM. Throughout his career, Croxton held command positions at the squadron and group levels and served on staff at Air Combat Command and the National Guard Bureau. He retired in 2020 as the Chief of Staff, Florida Air National Guard, leaving a legacy of excellence and dedication to the nation. Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were: Capt. Austin Hunt Capt. Patrick Rauker Capt. Ghaith Ibrahimy 2nd Lt. Taiwo Adebimpe 2nd Lt. Cameron Allan 2nd Lt. Drake Barberii 2nd Lt. Alejandro Benavidez 2nd Lt. Megan Cadotte-Seehusen 2nd Lt. Conor Callaghan 2nd Lt. Aidan Campbell 2nd Lt. Landon Chandler 2nd Lt. Kyle Condon 2nd Lt. Tanner Croxton 2nd Lt. Lucas Donahue 2nd Lt. Ivan Gonzalez-Cervantes 2nd Lt. Matthew Hamilton 2nd Lt. William Ide 2nd Lt. Caelan Johnson 2nd Lt. Jacqueline Kall 2nd Lt. Andrew Morell 2nd Lt. Kyle Neubauer 2nd Lt. Kenneth Prince 2nd Lt. Paul Robbins 2nd Lt. Jacob Romanyak 2nd Lt. John Schrader 2nd Lt. Amrit Singh 2nd Lt. Edgar Valerio 2nd Lt. Kelsey Webb 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. Imran Khan, 85th Flying Training Squadron commander. “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.