U.S. Marines Corps F-35B Lightning II aircraft assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 242, 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct fly overs of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), in the Coral Sea, July 1, 2025. VMFA-242 “The Bats” celebrated 82 years; the unit was commissioned July 1, 1943, boasting a combat history, beginning in the Solomon Islands and continuing through Saipan, Tinian, and Iwo Jima. The squadron has adapted and evolved, flying the A-4 Skyhawk during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the A-6 Intruder in Vietnam, and the F/A-18 Hornet in Iraq. Today, VMFA-242 flies the F-35B Lightning II aircraft and carries the title of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron of the Year, earning the Robert M. Hanson Award in 2024. Marine F-35Bs bring a 5th generation multi-discipline strike capability to support combined-joint all domain operations in key maritime terrain. The 31st MEU is operating aboard ships of the USS America Amphibious Ready Group in the 7th Fleet area of operations, the U.S. Navy’s largest forward deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Peter Rawlins)

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