Roughly three years ago, Maj. Graeme Ross, Capt. Justin Newman, and Capt. Spencer Weide, were all stationed in Korea and they all decided to transition from the F-16 Fighting Falcon to the F-35A Lightning II. There was a catch. There were still only two operational F-35 units in the Department of Defense. The Air Force was rapidly filling its pilot slots at Hill AFB, and the Marine Corps needed help filling theirs at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Ariz. To transition, Ross, Newman and Weide took advantage of a unique opportunity – an exchange program with the Marine Corps, flying the F-35B Short Takeoff and Vertical landing variant.