In the early morning of Feb. 16, F-35A Lightning II aircraft from the 34th Fighter Squadron, 388th Fighter Wing, Hill Air Force Base, Utah departed the Vermont Air National Guard Base in transit to Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany. We understand the concern experienced by some this morning, and while the Vermont National Guard will not respond to individual comments related to this mission, the Public Affairs Office has logged all concerns, and leadership takes each comment seriously.

As an operational F-35 Fighter Wing, the Vermont Air National Guard does everything in its control to balance F-35 mission requirements with the impact on the local community. There are times when operational security and real-world missions prevent the sharing of information on specific aircraft movements. Please continue to follow vtguard.com/F-35 for the most up-to-date, releasable information.

The full press release provided by U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa Public Affairs is available at https://www.usafe.af.mil/News/Press-Releases/Article/2936742/us-aircraft-head-to-europe-to-enhance-natos-collective-defense/.

For more information, contact the Vermont National Guard Public Affairs Office.