An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | May 13, 2009

California Air Guard pilot graduates with top honors

By Lt. Col. John Cotter California National Guard

SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas - Second Lt. Corbett "Cory" Sambol, a pilot from the 144th Fighter Wing of the California Air National Guard, recently graduated from Undergraduate Pilot Training (UPT) here and took home five of the six top awards for pilot training.

The five awards are the Academic Excellence Award, the Flying Excellence Award, the Distinguished Graduate, the Top Formation Pilot and the Wing Commander's Trophy.

Guard officials said it is extremely rare for a pilot to earn five of the six prestigious awards upon graduation.

"His performance at pilot training was exceptional," said Lt. Col. Ray Lynott, a pilot for the 144th Fighter Wing. "One of Cory's instructors told me that he flew the T-38 like a 1,000-hour instructor pilot, (and) his (UPT) wing commander said, 'I wish he was an active-duty guy.'"

The Undergraduate Pilot Training program is a yearlong course. Student pilots first fly the T-6, mastering contact, instrument, low-level and formation flying. Next, they fly the T-38C and continue building the skills necessary to become a fighter pilot.

"It's obvious Cory did some great work at Sheppard Air Force Base," said Lynott. "He also set the bar extraordinarily high for (others), who follow him at Euro NATO Joint Jet Pilot Training."

After graduating from UPT, pilots pin on the Air Force's coveted silver wings and then move on to train in their newly assigned aircraft.

Pilots in the 144FW, which is based in Fresno, Calif., fly the F-16.

 

 

Related Articles
U.S. Air National Guard civilian firefighters, assigned to the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, pose in front of the fire truck that was the first on scene, South Burlington, VT, June 4, 2025. These firefighters provided the first fire truck on scene to a local fire.
Vermont Air Guard First on Scene of South Burlington Fire
By Airman Raymond LaChance, | June 4, 2025
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. – Doireann Chesbrough, a civilian firefighter for the Vermont Air National Guard Fire Department, was sitting next to the radio in the dayroom of the station as the sun began to set over the Green...

Paratroopers from the Colorado National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces stand together before the first joint Colorado-Jordan airborne Friendship Jump, Watkins, Colorado, April 23, 2025. Members parachuted from a CH-47 Chinook as part of an event to strengthen interoperability and deepen the partnership between the two forces.
Airborne Operation Strengthens Colorado Guard, Jordan Partnership
By Senior Airman Melissa Escobar-Pereira, | June 4, 2025
CENTENNIAL, Colo. – In a display of cooperation and capability, Soldiers from the Colorado Army National Guard and the Jordanian Armed Forces recently conducted a joint airborne operation in Watkins, Colorado.The April 23...

Army Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission, also known as KFOR, host a multinational non-commissioned officer academy, referred to as the Jungleer Academy, at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo, May 8, 2025. 11 Sergeants Major from seven countries shared their experience with the soldiers, and many nations showcased their weapons, gear, vehicles and took a flight or hoisted in the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
Army Guard Soldiers in Kosovo Host Inaugural Event for Non-Commissioned Officers
By Sgt. Cheryl Madolev, | June 4, 2025
CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo – National Guard Soldiers assigned to Regional Command-East of the NATO-led Kosovo Force mission recently hosted an inaugural multinational event for non-commissioned officers (NCOs), focusing on...