U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Sydney Weber, a crew chief with the 134th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Vermont Air National Guard, prepares to marshal an F-35A Lighting II at Cheongju Air Base, Republic of Korea, March 12, 2025. Freedom Shield 25 is a defense-oriented exercise focused on fortifying response capabilities to safeguard security on the peninsula. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Noah J. Tancer)