MERIDIAN, Miss. –  The son of U.S. Vice President Mike Pence has graduated from naval aviator training in Mississippi with his father looking on.

The Meridian Star reports 1st Lt. Michael Pence was among seven pilots pinned with golden wings Friday at Naval Air Station Meridian in Mississippi.

The vice president presented each graduate with a challenge coin. Both Pences declined interviews.

The class spent longer than the normal year at the base because U.S. Navy training jets were grounded for a time during 2017. That’s because pilots reported episodes of oxygen deficiency, including shortness of breath and disorientation.

Base commander Capt. Brian Horstman says the graduates are “kind of special to us because they were here twice as long.”

Graduates include one U.S. Marine Corps pilot and one from the French navy.

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Information from: The Meridian Star, http://www.meridianstar.com