A U.S. Air Force F-35A Lighting II with the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Vermont Air National Guard, takes-off from Cheongju Air Base, Republic of Korea, March 12, 2025. The full-scale rehearsal of Republic of Korea Air Force and Seventh Air Force capabilities at the tactical and operational levels guarantees the strength of the combined air component to defend and defeat any threat to the Alliance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Noah J. Tancer)