Team Wright-Patt cheers ALS Class 26-F Published Sept. 10, 2026 By Daniel Peterson WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio -- Chief Master Sgt. Grace A. Peterson Airman Leadership School honored 28 graduates in a ceremony Sept. 3 at the Wright-Patt Community Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Timothey Hodgin, Air Force Research Laboratory command chief, offers words of wisdom to the graduates of Chief Master Sgt. Grace A. Peterson Airmen Leadership School Class 26-F at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 3, 2026. Class 26-F completed a five-week course that prepares staff sergeant selects for the leadership responsibilities that come with their new rank. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Timothey Hodgin, Air Force Research Laboratory command chief, guest speaker and class mentor, praised the graduates of Class 26-F on how proud he was of their accomplishments and emphasized the importance non-commissioned officers in service. “You know, our officers are brilliant and they do make our Air Force great, but there are a lot of other nations with brilliant officers that help their air forces out. So, what sets our Air Force apart?” Hodgin asked. “The NCO. We have the most professional and trusted NCO corps in the history of the world.” Hodgin recounted his early years when he attended sensor operating training alongside members of the British Royal Air Force. It wasn’t until after completing the training that he realized all their sensor operators were commissioned officers unlike how the U.S. Air Force assigns enlisted personnel into that role, emphasizing the trust USAF officers put in their enlisted corps. U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Akashia Cowell, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, presents the colors with fellow students of Chief Master Sgt. Grace A. Peterson Airman Leadership School Class 26-F at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 3, 2026. Class 26-F completed a five-week course that prepares staff sergeant selects for the leadership responsibilities that come with their new rank. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res “That is a force multiplier that nobody else can replicate,” he continued. “The trust that our officers have in those professional NCOs, that you have been seeing wearing those medallions around their necks tonight, that sets us apart.” Hodgin turned to his favorite movie, “It’s a Wonderful Life”, to conclude his keynote speech, referring to Jimmy Stewart’s role as George Bailey and the lesson he learned about the significant influence he had on his community. “If I was like Clarence the Angel and I erased you from your Air Force career and then took you around to everyone that you have ever worked with through the course of your career, all these fancy medals and stripes won’t mean anything if you didn’t impact those people in a positive way,” Hodgin concluded. “That is the mark of a successful Air Force career, and that is what I wish for you.” Graduates included Airmen from Air Force Materiel Command, 88th Air Base Wing, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve, and Defense Health Agency. 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: U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Okumura (left), 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander, and Chief Master Sgt. Jason Vollmer (right), 88 ABW command chief, congratulate award recipients at the Chief Master Sgt. Grace A. Peterson Airman Leadership School graduation ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, Sept. 3, 2026. ALS is required for staff sergeant selects, as Airmen learn more about leadership and Air Force culture. (U.S. Air Force photo by Daniel Peterson) Photo Details / Download Hi-Res 88th Communications Squadron Senior Airman Donte Castillo Senior Airman Steven Freire Senior Airman Timothy Jo Senior Airman Hunter Lambert Senior Airman Soloman Woodside 88th Dental Squadron Senior Airman Yaw Attobrah 88th Healthcare Operations Squadron Senior Airman Samantha Arellano Morales 88th Force Support Squadron Senior Airman Faith Ellis Senior Airman Samuel Striggles 88th Medical Support Squadron Senior Airman Daniel Harman 88th Operational Medical Readiness Squadron Senior Airman Joseph Pokornik 88th Operations Support Squadron Senior Airman Dakota Lathrop (Distinguished Graduate Award) Senior Airman Andrew Sporleder 88th Security Forces Squadron Staff Sgt. Isaiah Sutton (Leadership Award) Senior Airman Jacob Doncsecz (Academic Achievement Award) Senior Airman Sarah Graham Senior Airman Caden Ramey 88th Surgical Operations Squadron Senior Airman Christopher Starks Senior Airman Lawrence Tyquiengco III (Distinguished Graduate Award) 102nd Civil Engineer Squadron Senior Airman Alex Smith 171st Force Support Squadron Senior Airman Jay Thomas 311th Recruiting Squadron Senior Airman Hunter Nope (John L. Levitow Award) 339th Recruiting Squadron Senior Airman Alex Mamounas Senior Airman Sophia Wilkerson 445th Maintenance Squadron Senior Airman Austin Rogers National Air and Space Intelligence Center Senior Airman Raymond Ayala-Pagan Senior Airman Akashia Cowell Senior Airman Austin Davis Ball All photos from the event can be seen here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wrightpattafb/albums/72177720335523415