An Oklahoma State University graduate is one of 10 U.S. student pilots selected for a groundbreaking international pilot training program in Italy.

Lt. Marques Johnson was selected for the elite program, which aims to accelerate pilot training and modernize the Air Force’s pipeline.

Johnson, who grew up in Dallas, said his interest in aviation started at an early age.

“Since I was a kid, I was just really fascinated with planes and aviation,” Johnson said.

Initially coming to OSU to study aviation, Johnson found a new path through Air Force ROTC.

“Out-of-state tuition and flight training are not cheap,” Johnson said. “A friend introduced me to the Air Force ROTC program as a way to pursue accreditation.”

OSU Detachment 670 is Oklahoma’s No. 1 Air Force ROTC detachment, managing more than 150 officer candidates.

“The person who enrolled at OSU freshman year is not at all the person who graduated,” Johnson said.

“I used to be very timid, but ROTC basically forced me to step outside my comfort zone. I learned how to be professional, how to manage my time better, not only as a student but also in my personal life. I experienced a lot of growth.”

To test new training methodologies, the program selected student pilots for an experimental group to operate in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.

“When I heard this was an opportunity, I thought, ‘Oh, there’s no way that I would be eligible for that,’” Johnson said. “But something I learned in the program was to just try new things and put your name in the hat. What’s the worst that could happen?”

The program is part of the Air Force’s effort to modernize pilot training and increase efficiency. The initiative tests whether pilots can move more quickly from civilian training into advanced military aircraft.

“The Air Force wanted to test out a new syllabus version of training to see if students who were flying little propeller planes could transition into a fast jet,” Johnson said.

Early results from the program have been overwhelmingly positive, according to Air Force officials. However, training was not easy for the 10 pilots.

“The speed of the jet and also the speed of our training was like drinking from a fire hose in the beginning,” Johnson said. “We’re flying much faster than what we’ve been used to.”

The program is a joint effort between the U.S. Air Force and Italian Air Force, including 139 days of initial pilot training in Arizona through a civilian program and 133 days of basic jet training in Italy.

After about nine months of training at Decimomannu Air Base on the island of Sardinia, the 10 pilots graduated Jan. 16, 2026, earning advanced jet certification.

“I had a big fear of failure initially, and the Air Force ROTC program at OSU taught me that the worst that can happen when you try new things is that you fail and learn from it,” Johnson said. “Don’t be afraid to put your name in the hat. Don’t be afraid to try new things, because you can only grow from them.”

Story By: Annelise Vinson | annelise.vinson@okstate.edu