Vance graduates 21 new pilots during ceremony held Feb. 23

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  • 71st Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. – Twenty-one students in Undergraduate Pilot Training Class 24-06 received their wings during a ceremony held Feb. 23 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 programs at Vance.

The guest speaker at the Class 24-06 graduation ceremony was retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Jack Egginton. At retirement Egginton was the director, Air and Space Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

He earned his wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, in 1978, and flew more than 3,600 hours, including 480 combat hours. Egginton flew the F-16, F-15 and the F/A-22.

Class 24-06 award winners were:
2nd Lt. Zachery Doyle received the Academic Award;
2nd Lt. Terrence Edwards received the Leadership Award;
2nd Lt. Kyle McAbee received the Flying Training Award and was named a Distinguished Graduate;
2nd Lt. Jacob Bemis received the Air Education & Training Command Commander’s Trophy and was named a Distinguished Graduate;
2nd Lt. Luke Ragsdill received the Wingman Award.

Also receiving their pilot wings during the ceremony were:
2nd Lts. Richard Alongi, Kristopher Golden, Shawn Kim, Andrew Kosanovich, Kaitlyn Laney, Nathaniel Lavigne, Justin Miller, Connor O'Donnell, Luke Pikoulas, Jared Rennich, Kaleb Runyon, Robert Scriven, Jack Snyder, Matthew Sotebier, Anton Trenga and Hayden VanLaningham.