Graduating the Future of Flight: Class 26-07 Published March 20, 2026 By Senior Airman Jarrett Smith 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Twenty-five U.S. Air Force, Japanese, and Tunisian officers were awarded the coveted silver wings as a symbol of their hard work and training during their graduation ceremony held March 19, 2026. 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 26-07 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel, who serves as the Director of Force Design and Wargaming at Headquarters United States Air Force, located at the Pentagon, Virginia. He leads advanced efforts for future force design, manifesting an integrated future force and achieving timely and effective operational capabilities required for tomorrow’s Airmen to fight and win. Additionally, Kunkel is a command pilot with over 2,776 flying hours and 10 combat deployments. Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were: 1st Lt. Youssef Borgi 1st Lt. Dominic Ciotti 1st Lt. Chad Nelson 2nd Lt. Eleanor Bailey 2nd Lt. David Bartlett 2nd Lt. Zachary Bollinger 2nd Lt. Richard Brown 2nd Lt. Jackson Colvin 2nd Lt. Ryan Coté 2nd Lt. Brantley Hart 2nd Lt. William Herbold 2nd Lt. Gregory Hill 2nd Lt. Weston Johnson 2nd Lt. Benjamin Kakac 2nd Lt. William Meadows 2nd Lt. Matthew Morrocco 2nd Lt. Sean O’Connell 2nd Lt. Alexander Pearce 2nd Lt. Brody Pugh 2nd Lt. John Schneider 2nd Lt. Zach Shepard 2nd Lt. Lucca Sweetser 2nd Lt. Matthew Tomasulo 2nd Lt. Junki Wakai 2nd Lt. Dylan West 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 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. More photos from the graduation ceremony can be found on our Flickr.