34th Fighter Squadron Commander Lt. Col. George Watkins and Maj. Brad Matherne, 34th FS assistant director of operations, return to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, Sept. 17, after completing the first sorties with the recently acquired, combat-coded F-35A Lightning II aircraft. Both pilots were conducting mission qualification training, focusing on weapons employment, range familiarization and mission system proficiency. (U.S. Air Force photo/Alex R. Lloyd)