The deployment to Sweden as part of Exercise Nordic Response 24 marked the first overseas exercise for Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 542 since achieving Initial Operational Capability (IOC) on Feb. 5. The historic landing of a U.S. F-35B on Swedish soil took place on March 13, 2024.
The skies above Florida recently bore witness to a momentous occasion for the Oregon Air National Guard’s 142nd Wing, as Lt. Col. Joel “Thermo” Thesing, an F-15C instructor pilot from the 123rd Fighter Squadron, became the unit’s first aviator to take the controls of the highly anticipated F-15EX fighter jet. This inaugural flight marks a significant step forward as the 142nd Wing prepares to transition its fleet to this next variant of the Boeing F-15.