HILL AIR FORCE BASE — After a relatively quiet first quarter — at least compared to deployment tempos of the past two years — airmen from Hill Air Force Base’s F-35 fighter wing are heading overseas again.

Aircraft and airmen from Hill’s 4th Fighter Squadron, which is made up of active-duty airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing and reservists from the 419th FW, arrived at Mont-de-Marsan Air Base in France earlier this week.

Micah Garbarino, spokesperson with the 388th, said that during their time in the European theater, the squadron will participate in several events, including Atlantic Trident 21. The exercise involves service members from the U.S., France and the United Kingdom, according to the U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa Public Affairs office, along with aircraft from each of the countries. The aim of the effort, in a nutshell, is to practice complex air combat operations as one, unified force.

Garbarino said Hill’s participation underscores the “steadfast U.S. commitment to the region and enhancing interoperability with NATO allies and partners.”

The Air Force’s F-35 is integral to the operation, Garbarino said, providing “next-generation stealth,” enhanced situational awareness and reduced vulnerability for the United States and allied nations.

While Hill’s fighter wing has been involved in numerous stateside operations so far this year, the mission in France represents the group’s first out-of-country deployment in 2021.

Airmen from the wing spent the second half of 2019 and virtually all of 2020 overseas.

During those two years, each of Hill’s three F-35 squadrons deployed in support of the Air Force Central Command’s mission at Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates. The Hill service members employed the F-35 on close air support missions, performed offensive and defensive counter-air attacks, and participated in joint exercises with U.S. allies around the Middle East.

The 4th Fighter Squadron, which deployed in April 2019 and returned in October of that year, was the first. The 34th FS deployed immediately following the 4th’s homecoming in October 2019 and returned home in June and July 2020. The 421st FS deployed to the region in June of last year, returning in October.

Garbarino said the France mission is the wing’s third deployment to Europe in the past four years. The first was the 34th Fighter Squadron’s deployment to Royal Air Force Lakenheath in England in April 2017. The second was a 421st FS Theater Security Package deployment to Aviano Air Base, Italy, in May 2019.