Marine F-35B roll out

Marine Corp color guard members stand together after 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 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 speaks at 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

A drummer with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing band performs at 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.)

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)

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

Maintainers with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 501 move in to secure the wheels of their new aircraft, the F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighter variant 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/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, recovered 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.)