COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Eighteen Undergraduate Pilot Training 2.5 student pilots of Class 24-08, graduated on May 3, 2024, at the Kaye Auditorium on Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. The UPT 2.5 graduation ceremony officially marks the completion of initial flight training in the T-6 Texan II as students earn their wings and begin the next phase of advanced pilot training for the Air Force’s newest pilots.
Pilots advance to graduate training in one of two new programs: Air Mobility Fundamentals, or Fighter/Bomber Fundamentals. These new programs, like UPT 2.5, capitalize on and incorporate modern training tools and methods that provide a unique advantage through innovation.
AMF currently leverages the “Mid-Tier Device,” a simulator that replicates the T-1A Jayhawk, to prepare graduates for mobility or tanker platforms. The Air Force’s first-ever F/BF class began at CAFB in June 2023. The new program both combines and streamlines legacy T-38 Graduate Pilot Training and T-38 Introduction to Fighter Fundamentals into a unified syllabus for graduates continuing to fighter or bomber platforms.
The Class 24-08 graduation speaker was Col. Justin A. Longmire, U.S. Air Force Squadron Officer School, vice commandant, Air University, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. Col. Longmire is a 2001 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy. Since then, he has completed a variety of command and operational assignments in the C-5 and KC-10 aircraft, as well as Air Operations Center and Contingency Response units, he has served on the staff of the Inspector General, Headquarters, United States Air Force, and as a leadership course director in Air Education and Training Command. Prior to his current assignment, he served as the Air Force Division Chief, United States Military Training Mission to Saudi Arabia. In this capacity, he served as professional advisor to the Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force and directed 42 billion dollars of foreign military sales and security cooperation activities between the United States and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Students are also recognized with additional accolades through academic and professional military achievement such as: Order of Daedalians AETC Commander’s Trophy, Distinguished Graduate Award, Academic Award, Military Training Award and Flying Training Award.
CLASS 24-08 Graduates
2nd Lt. Ateeq Alolaywi (International Training Award)
2nd Lt. Osama A. Alzahrani (International Training Award)
2nd Lt. Timothy N. Axberg
2nd Lt. William A. Barrineau
2nd Lt. Nicholas A. Bomm (Distinguished Graduate Award, Academic Excellence Award)
1st Lt. Winifred X. Chen (AETC Commander’s Trophy, Distinguished Graduate Award, Flying Training Award)
2nd Lt. Keegan B. Connelly
2nd Lt. William T. Danielson
2nd Lt. Thomas W. Edge
Capt. Austin M. Graf (Military Training Award)
2nd Lt. Yoshia Kaneko (International Training Award)
2nd Lt. Alec S. Kovac
2nd Lt. Rodrigo M. Luevano
1st Lt. Ryyan T. Reule
2nd Lt. Andrew J. Savidge
2nd Lt. Nicholas S. Sisson
Capt. Danielle B. Swygert
2nd Lt. Jonathon M. Wilhite