#FighterFriday

PACIFIC OCEAN – F-35B Lightning IIs with Marine Fighter Attack Detachment 211, the Wake Island Avengers, 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), fly over Wake Island during a regularly scheduled deployment of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and the 13th MEU, August 1, 2018. The Essex ARG/MEU team is a strong, flexible, responsive and consistent force deployed to the 7th fleet area of operations to support regional stability, reassure partners and allies ad maintain a presence ready to respond to any crisis from humanitarian assistance to contingency operations. The Essex ARG and 13th MEU is the first continental United States Navy/Marine Corps team to deploy with the F-35B Lightning. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Francisco J. Diaz Jr.)

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Italian-born twins complete fighter pilot training

Two identical twins who were born in Italy recently completed their fighter pilot training at VT-7 and graduated.

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MERIDIAN, Miss. (July 27, 2018) Marine Corps Capt. Matteo Occhipinti, left, Cmdr. Steven Vitrella, commanding officer of Training Squadron (VT) 7, 1st Lt. Andrea Occhipinti and U.S. Navy Capt. Nicholas Mungas, commodore of Training Air Wing (CNATRA) 1, pose for a group photo before the twin Occhipinti brothers simultaneously receive their gold aviator wings during a winging ceremony at the chapel at Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., July 27, 2018. The brothers completed Advanced Jet Flight Training with Training Squadron SEVEN. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Chris Liaghat/Released)

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