Emotions, spectacles on display at Air Force Academy Graduation Parade

Aerial gliders streaked across the sky as drill teams performed in perfect unison on the ground during a special tribute to the Air Force Academy Graduating Class of 2018 Tuesday.

Cadets’ family members filled the stands at Stillman Field and watched parachuters slide to land. Many of them, like Nichelle Wiggins, were anxious to see their soon-to-be graduates.

“It’s just been wonderful to go through this journey with him and for him to see that he can persevere,” Wiggins said.

Then the beat of the drums pierced the air, and step-by-step, the 4,000-member cadet wing walked out for the Pass and Review ceremony — after a flyover by a B-2 Spirit Bomber, that is. ( PHOTOS )

Each of the 40 squadrons salutes Gen. Jay Silveria, the superintendent of the Academy. The seniors were clad in yellow.

( Related: Here’s a breakdown of the USAFA Class of 2018 )

After the march, their loved ones flood the field and it’s a sea of hugs as families reunite. And as the gliders continue to fall, so do the tears.

“I love you guys, thank you for everything,” cadet Eric Wiggins said. “I knew I wanted to pass … and get to the very end of it. I mean, this is monumental.”

After years of hard work, these cadets will soon be 2nd Lieutenants in the U.S. Air Force.