 Only 18 of the 104 cadets who started flight training a year earlier remained when Lindbergh graduated first overall in his class in March 1925, thereby earning his Army pilot's wings and a commission as a [[Second Lieutenant#United States|2nd Lieutenant]] in the [[Military reserve force|Air Service Reserve Corps]].Lindbergh later said that this year was critical to his development as both a focused, goal-oriented individual and as an aviator.The Army did not need additional active-duty pilots, however, so immediately following graduation Lindbergh returned to civilian aviation as a barnstormer and [[flight instructor]], although as a reserve officer he also continued to do some part-time military flying by joining the [[110th Bomb Squadron|110th Observation Squadron]], 35th Division, Missouri [[National Guard of the United States|National Guard]], in St. Louis.