Graduating the Future of Flight: Class 26-15 Published Aug. 7, 2026 By Airman 1st Class Rabb 47th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Twenty-three U.S. Air Force officers were awarded the coveted silver wings as symbol of their hard work and training during a graduation ceremony held July 23, 2026. 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 26-15 graduation ceremony was U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Rebecca Sonkiss, Air Mobility Command deputy commander at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Sonkiss is a 1994 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and went on to complete Joint Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training here at Laughlin. She is a command pilot with more than 4,400 hours, including 1,377 combat hours in nine different Air Force manned and remotely piloted aircraft. During her career, she has commanded the 15th Airlift Squadron at Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina, the 62nd Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and the 89th Airlift Wing at Joint Base Andrews. Receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were: 1st Lt. Liam Dineen 2nd Lt. Simon Bolinger 2nd Lt. John Brown 2nd Lt. Michael Brown 2nd Lt. Lucas Coon 2nd Lt. Nicholas DeDomenico 2nd Lt. Elise Eichhorn 2nd Lt. Ian Garrett 2nd Lt. Nicholas Garver 2nd Lt. Aaron Ives 2nd Lt. Alexander Kenyon 2nd Lt. Cody Lambert 2nd Lt. Tristan Lingaolingao 2nd Lt. William Lovett 2nd Lt. Ethan Mayo 2nd Lt. Madeline McDonald 2nd Lt. Logan Ray McIntosh 2nd Lt. Thorsten Muehlbauer 2nd Lt. Cian Nolan 2nd Lt. Anders Olson 2nd Lt. Paul Roberts 2nd Lt. Ronald Smith 2nd Lt. Wilson Starks 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. Dane Coppini, 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 half 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.