U.S. Marines with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214, Marine Aircraft Group 12, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, load ordnance onto an F-35B Lightning II aircraft at Kadena Air Base, Japan, April 1, 2025. VMFA-214, an F-35B squadron from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona, deployed to augment MAG-12, 1st MAW under the Unit Deployment Program, which provides U.S.-based units with operational experience in the Indo-Pacific. Their arrival marked the Marine Corps’ transition from the F/A-18 Hornet to the F-35 for rotational deployments to the region. VMFA-214 conducted flight operations out of Kadena AB to enhance combat readiness and showcase sustained aerial superiority. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Micah Taylor)
