Laughlin Air Force Base holds XL Games after meeting pilot goals

Laughlin Air Force Base turned its pilot-production benchmark into a day of competition on April 17, as Airmen gathered for XL Games after the wing met the minimum goals that earn an XL Day. The event tied morale directly to mission performance, with squadron-versus-squadron and individual contests meant to reward the work that keeps Undergraduate Pilot Training moving at one of Val Verde County’s most important institutions.

Airmen competed in the Warrior Run, T-38 pull, basketball, kickball, ultimate frisbee, pickleball, an archery shootout, volleyball, a golf scramble and e-sports. The mix of events gave personnel a break from the daily training grind while still reinforcing the culture Laughlin says it needs most: fitness, competition, camaraderie and readiness. Capt. Tanner Colborg said the wing surpassed its production and readiness goals by a large margin and also hosted a successful airshow, underscoring that the base sees morale events and mission output as part of the same job.

That connection matters because Laughlin is not just another installation on the edge of Del Rio. The 47th Flying Training Wing has been active there since September 1, 1972, and says it has trained more than 15,000 pilots for the United States and allied nations. The 47th Operations Group runs Undergraduate Pilot Training at Laughlin, and the wing said it was the No. 1 student pilot producing base in Fiscal Year 2025. Col. Tyler Ellison said, “We graduated 480 students across both platforms in Fiscal Year 2025, flew 38,245 sorties totaling 51,875 hours.”

Laughlin has repeatedly used XL Day to mark those numbers. In a 2025 celebration, the base said it exceeded 19th Air Force production objectives by 7%, raising annual pilot graduation potential to more than 360 pilots. That production pipeline has local consequences in Del Rio and across Val Verde County, where the base drives jobs, spending and community identity.

The April 17 games came after a March 13 Wings of XLence luncheon that recognized top quarterly performers and strengthened ties with the Del Rio Military Affairs Association. They also followed a visit from Lt. Gen. Clark Quinn, commander of Air Education and Training Command, on April 14. Taken together, the events show a base using public recognition, command attention and direct competition to keep Team XL focused on the next generation of American airpower.