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Class 25-05 students receive aviator wings at graduation ceremony held Jan 31 at Vance

  • Published
  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Twenty-four students in Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 25-05 received their wings during a ceremony held Jan. 31 at Vance Air Force Base.

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.

The guest speaker at the Class 25-05 graduation ceremony was retired Air Force Col. Todd Tobergte. His last assignment during his 28-year Air Force career was as the Reserve Advisor to the commander of Air Combat Command.

Tobergte is a command pilot with more than 3,000 flight hours. He earned his wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and has flown the T-37, T-38 and the F-16.

Class 25-05 award winners were:
2nd Lts. Nikcolas Jackson and Aleksandar Marinkovski received the Academic Award;
2nd Lt. William Lauterbach received the Leadership Award;
2nd Lt. Dreyton Pohl received the Flying Training Award, the Air Education & Training Command Commander’s Trophy and was named a Distinguished Graduate;
2nd Lt. Timothy Whetstone received the Wingman Award;
2nd Lt. Michael McGaha was named a Distinguished Graduate.

Also receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
Capt. Vladimir Petrov; 1st Lt. Dimitar Tashev; 2nd Lts. Kyle Bartifay, Cowen Croft, Logan Dulany, Benjamin Fonville, Aaron Garcia, John Hermanson, Glenn Misiak, Angeline Nealy, Myles-Odin Peter, Cody Phippen, Douglas Poole, Brandon Pruden, Owen Reus, Henry Scholes, Ally Walters and Dylan Zinio.