Vance graduates 21 new pilots during ceremony held July 14

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  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Twenty-one students in Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 23-12 received their wings during a ceremony held July 14 at Vance Air Force Base.

Having completed their initial aviation training in the T-6A Texan II, the newly pinned pilots will continue in either the T-1A Jayhawk or the T-38C Talon training aircraft at Vance.

The guest speaker at the Class 23-12 graduation ceremony was Air Force Lt. Gen. Russell Mack, the Air Combat Command deputy commander. Mack was commander of the 71st Flying Training Wing at Vance from May 2010 to June 2012.

The Class 23-12 award winners were:
Capt. John Kadlubowski received the Academic Award, the Flying Training Award, the Air Education & Training Command Commander's Trophy and was named a Distinguished Graduate;
Capt. Todd Landreth received the Leadership Award;
2nd Lt. Julian Courtade was named a Distinguished Graduate;
Capt. Frederick Meade received the Wingman Award.

Also receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were: Capts. Andrew Friedline, Trenton Samaha; 1st Lts. Isaac Coolidge, Cooper Hawkley, Nathan Lervold, Matthew Ridinger; 2nd Lts. Joseph Calandra, Alexander Garbe, Liam Gray, Tyler Greenert, Zachary Mandella, Sarah Markosky, Ty Miller, Matthew Teague, Daniel Valeri, Dawson Young, James Zawodny.

Vance has graduated 35,731 pilots since training began in 1941.