U.S. Navy Naval Air station

Longacre earns aviator wings

LTJG Benjamin Longacre, a 2014 graduate of Northampton Area High School, received his wings as a naval aviator in an Aug. 27 ceremony at Naval Air Station Kingsville, Texas.

Longacre received a bachelor’s degree in engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and was selected for the naval aviator training program. He completed aviation preflight indoctrination at NAS Pensacola and primary flight training at NAS Whiting in Milton, Fla.

After primary, Longacre was selected for the Navy’s strike flight training program. He completed intermediate and advanced flight training at NAS Kingsville and El Centro, Calif. He also completed carrier qualification aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

Longacre received his wings from Cmdr. Christopher D. Glandon, commander of training squadron VT-21 at NAS Kingsville.

Longacre will be stationed at NAS Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., where he will fly the F-18 Super Hornet.