First ALS graduation of 2026 celebrates Class 26-B Published Feb. 19, 2026 By Daniel Peterson 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Chief Master Sgt. Grace A. Peterson Airman Leadership School honored 25 graduates in a ceremony February 12 at the Wright-Patt Club. Chief Master Sgt. Tessa Fontaine, 88th Air Base Wing command chief, guest speaker and class mentor, welcomed the family and friends of ALS Class 26-B by emphasizing how vital providing a strong support network had been to the graduates’ journey. She credited family and community as major motivators in the class’s milestone achievement. “It has been my genuine privilege to get to know these Airmen on a personal level. I can honestly say that I learned much more from them than they have learned from me,” Fontaine shared. “I realized the most important message I can deliver is not to the graduates but to all of you, their honored guests.” Fontaine painted a more detailed picture of the graduating class to those in attendance, touching on individuals’ varied backgrounds, personalities, roles, occupations and talents. She went on to describe the graduating class as more ambitious, determined, and resilient than most give them credit for. “They all share a unique experience; they navigated the unprecedented challenges of a global pandemic… They are the ‘COVID-generation’ of Airmen, a group that has been underestimated and misunderstood,” Fontaine revealed. “They were assumed to be less resilient and less driven, to hide behind social media and struggle with in-person conversations. I can tell you with absolute certainty that they are anything but. The strength they summoned to navigate a world of uncertainty is a resilience I did not possess as I was coming into the military.” Fontaine addressed the graduating class directly and charged them with the responsibility of leading with integrity, courage and unwavering commitment to the U.S. Air Force and their future Airmen. She offered inspirational assurances that the class had already overcome many of the misconceptions of being the “COVID-generation” and encouraged them to continue doing so. “The expectation is not that you become a superhero overnight. The expectation is that you lead. That you lead as well as you are capable of. Be true to who you are, remember your ‘why’, hold yourself and others to the highest expectations,” Fontaine concluded. “I say with the utmost confidence that you are ready, you are capable, you are caring, and you are the future of our Air Force. I am honored to lead by your side.” Graduates included Airmen from Air Force Materiel Command, 88th Air Base Wing, Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, National Air and Space Intelligence Center and Air National Guard. ALS is required for staff sergeant selects, and open to eligible civilians, as Airmen learn more about leadership and Air Force culture. Below is the list of graduates and award winners: 88th Diagnostics and Therapeutics Squadron Senior Airman Angela Xiong 88th Healthcare Operations Squadron Senior Airman Tianna Stazzone 88th Force Support Squadron Senior Airman Crystal Guerrero 88th Inpatient Operations Squadron Senior Airman Payge Silvis Senior Airman Fatama Turay 88th Medical Group Senior Airman Darrian Price 88th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron Senior Airman Ethan Cortez 88th Security Forces Squadron Senior Airman Hunter Daly Senior Airman Lucas Kearns Senior Airman Presley Sand 375th Aeromedical Evacuation Training Squadron Senior Airman Zoe Kim 122nd Force Support Squadron Senior Airman Markiese Florence 435th Supply Chain Operations Squadron Senior Airman Zachary Thomas Senior Airman Nina Winston 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron Staff Sgt. Tania Vazquez Gallardo Senior Airman Matthew Zaubi Air Force Life Cycle Management Senior Airman Xavier Sparrow National Air and Space Intelligence Center Intelligence Support Squadron Senior Airman Jermel Allende Jr. (Leadership Award) Senior Airman Nathaniel Adkins Senior Airman Andrew Cornejo Senior Airman Jeffrey Kim (Academic Achievement Award) Senior Airman Joel Lee (John L. Levitow Award) Senior Airman Chad Seligman (Distinguished Graduate Award) Senior Airman Trevor Ward Senior Airman Marc Wilkinson