MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho -- Since May 30, Air Force reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing have been working alongside the active duty 388th FW at Mountain Home in what has been the largest off-station F-35A Lightning II operation to date.
The Airmen from Hill AFB are functioning as a detachment with about 300 Airmen in operations, support and maintenance. During their time at Mountain Home, they have integrated with F-15Es from the 366th Fighter Wing in both offensive and defensive air-to-air and air-to-ground combat scenarios.
Over the past month, the squadron has been flying 16-20 sorties per day, which will increase during upcoming exercises. They have only lost two sorties due to maintenance issues. An additional benefit has been bringing the unit closer together and strengthening the skill sets of younger Airmen.
All of Hill's fighter squadrons are operating away from the base as the runway there undergoes major construction and repairs. Both active duty and Reserve personnel are currently deployed to the United Arab Emirates and Europe.
This article has been modified from the original version written by Micah Garbarino, 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs