Lt. Col. Shad “Polo” Stromberg, F-35 pilot in the 419th Fighter Wing, runs a pre-flight check prior to takeoff for a nighttime deployment departure to Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates from Hill Air Force Base, Utah last week. This marks an historic occasion for the Air Force Reserve 419th FW and active duty 388th FW as the first Middle East deployment for the U.S. Air Force’s F-35 Lightning II. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Justin Fuchs)