Pilots from the 44th Fighter Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Japan, get suited up for flight April 28, 2020. Airmen from the 18th Operations and Maintenance Groups deployed to the U.S. Central Command theater to defend U.S. and partner nation interests while strengthening coalition and regional partnerships in the region. Like the Indo-Pacific, stability in the CENTCOM area of responsibility demands a credible, capable, and dynamic defense posture to compete, deter, and win against state and non-state actors. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Rhett Isbell)