Laughlin Air Force Base Awards Silver Wings to 26 U.S., Hungarian Pilots

Twenty-three second lieutenants, two first lieutenants, one captain and a contingent of allied aviators from Hungary walked into the Air Force aviation community April 9, when Laughlin Air Force Base conducted the formal graduation ceremony for Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 26-08.

The ceremony recognized all 26 U.S. and Hungarian Air Force officers who completed UPT's demanding multi-phase syllabus and received their silver wings before an audience of families, instructors and base leadership. Col. Jesse Caldwell, deputy commander of the 47th Flying Training Wing, served as guest speaker, delivering remarks on what it means to produce combat-capable aviators at a base that trains several hundred student pilots each year.

Among those pinning on wings: Capt. Justin King, 1st Lt. Coal Coppess and 1st Lt. Christan Turnbull, joined by second lieutenants Eric Aceves, Connor Austin, Josean Barrientos, Daniel Blazek, Noah Burlingame, Juliette Burton, Matthew Crum, Devon Devivo, Thomas Eckstrom, Maximillian Flasch, Scott Harton, Lukas Johnson, Marcell Major, Daniel Mencsik, Chrystian Mollet, Samuel Mueller, Blake Murray, Ansh Rawat, Nicholas Rhea, Emmett Rosenzweig, Ha-eun Shin, Luke Spencer and Dominic Vincent.

Lt. Col. Aaron Borszich, commander of the 47th Student Squadron, used his remarks to shift the room's attention toward the people who did not receive wings. "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," Borszich said.

The Hungarian officers in Class 26-08 reflect the international training agreements that regularly bring allied aviators to Del Rio. The 47th Flying Training Wing has long served as one of the Air Force's primary UPT hubs, and the Hungarian pilots who completed the syllabus alongside their American counterparts will return home carrying qualifications built on Laughlin's curriculum, a concrete output of the U.S.-Hungary training partnership.

For Val Verde County, each graduation class is both a civic event and an economic signal. Laughlin ranks among the county's largest employers, and organizations like the Del Rio Military Affairs Association maintain the network of partnerships that keep base and city closely linked. Families who traveled to Del Rio for the April 9 ceremony represent the kind of recurring community connection that graduation season brings to local hotels, restaurants and businesses.

The pilots of Class 26-08 will now move into follow-on training for specific airframes, their next assignments carrying them to installations across the Air Force and, for the Hungarian graduates, back to their home service.