First flight

Lt. Col. Eric Smith, the 58th Fighter Squadron director of operations, puts on his helmet as Staff Sgt. Jeremy Houser, 33rd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, assists prior to the first F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter training sortie at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., March. 6. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Ready to Fly

The 33rd Operations Group flagship F-35A Lightning II joint strike fighter sits ready to fly in the Air Force hangar at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Air Force issued a military flight release Feb. 28 allowing the F-35A to begin initial operations here. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

New home

UH-1Ns arrive at their new home Feb. 27 at Duke Field, Fla. The 46th Test Wing Huey flight left Eglin Air Force Base and the 40th Flight Test Squadron and are now a part of the 413th Flight Test Squadron. The move is the first step to centralize all development, testing and evaluation of rotary wing aircraft in the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

New home

UH-1Ns arrive at their new home Feb. 27 at Duke Field, Fla. The 46th Test Wing Huey flight left Eglin Air Force Base and the 40th Flight Test Squadron and are now a part of the 413th Flight Test Squadron. The move is the first step to centralize all development, testing and evaluation of rotary wing aircraft in the Air Force. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B roll out

Marine Corps color guard stand in front the F-35B Lightning II at its official roll out ceremony Feb. 24 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B roll out

U.S. Congressman Jeff Miller, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. Gen. Joseph Dunford and Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin Robert Stevens watch as Marine color guard retire the colors during the Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II roll out ceremony Feb. 24 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B roll out

Marine Corp color guard member stands by during the USMC F-35B Lightning II roll out ceremony Feb. 24 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B roll out

Marine Corps color guard members stand by during the USMC F-35B Lightning II roll out ceremony Feb. 24 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Dropping bombs

An A-10 Thunderbolt II, from the 104th Fighter Squadron, drops a guided bomb unit-12 during a Combat Hammer mission last month at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Combat Hammer is a weapons system evaluation managed by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron. The Combat Hammer (air to ground) and Archer (air to air) programs are missions of the 53rd Wing. (Courtesy photo)

Gas & go

An A-10 Thunderbolt II, from the 104th Fighter Squadron, tries to connect for an in-flight refuel during a Combat Hammer mission last month at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. Combat Hammer is a weapons system evaluation managed by the 86th Fighter Weapons Squadron. The Combat Hammer (air to ground) and Archer (air to air) programs are missions of the 53rd Wing. (Courtesy photo)

Night Strike

The first night flight in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Program was completed Jan. 18 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The mission consisted of a series of straight-in approaches in twilight and darkness. The pilot also performed an evaluation of the F-35's cockpit lighting which Ward called, "the best he's ever seen." The testing will clear the way for night refueling and formation testing later this year. (Lockheed Martin photo) (Lockheed Martin photos by Tom Reynolds and Darin Russell)

Night Strike

The first night flight in the history of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Program was completed Jan. 18 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The mission consisted of a series of straight-in approaches in twilight and darkness. The pilot also performed an evaluation of the F-35's cockpit lighting which Ward called, "the best he's ever seen." The testing will clear the way for night refueling and formation testing later this year. (Lockheed Martin photo) (Lockheed Martin photos by Tom Reynolds and Darin Russell)

F-35B arrival

Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Smith, a maintainer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501, marshals in the first Marine variant F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter to arrive at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Maj. Karen Roganov)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Smith, a maintainer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501, marshals in the first Marine variant F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter to arrive at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Chrissy Cuttita)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Smith, a maintainer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501, watches as the first Marine variant F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter roll toward him at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Smith, a maintainer with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501, marshals in the first Marine variant F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter to arrive at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

The first of two Marine F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighters soars through the sky above Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., before landing at its new home. The newest aircraft in the Department of Defense inventory belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501. Both aircraft were escorted in by Marine F-18 Hornets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

Staff Sgt. Travis Webb, a maintainer with the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 was one of the first Marine maintainers to recover the first F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter variant at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Marines of VMFAT-501 received two F-35Bs Jan. 11. Both aircraft were escorted in by Marine F-18 Hornets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

Maj. Joseph Bachmann shakes hands with his plane captain Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Smith, of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501, after bringing the first Marine F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Marines of VMFAT-501 received two F-35Bs Jan. 11. Both aircraft were escorted in by Marine F-18 Hornets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

The Marine Corp’s newest aircraft, the F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter touches down at its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The newest aircraft in the Department of Defense inventory belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501. The Marines of VMFAT-501 received two F-35Bs Jan. 11. Both aircraft were escorted in by Marine F-18 Hornets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

Marine F-18 Hornets escorted the first and second Marine F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter variants to their home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., Jan. 11. The newest aircraft in the Department of Defense inventory belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501. (U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr.)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

DoD’s first production F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter soars over Destin, Fla., on its way to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Marine variant of the JSF belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501. The Marines of VMFAT-501 received two F-35Bs Jan. 11. Both aircraft were escorted in by Marine F-18 Hornets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

DoD’s first production F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter flies toward its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., escorted by Marine Corps F-18 Hornets. The Marine variant of the JSF belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501. The Marines of VMFAT-501 received two F-35Bs Jan. 11. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)

Marine F-35B arrives at Eglin

DoD’s first production F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter soars over Destin, Fla., on its way to its new home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The Marine variant of the JSF belongs to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501. The Marines of VMFAT-501 received two F-35Bs Jan. 11. Both aircraft were escorted in by Marine F-18 Hornets. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago)