Capt. Austin Bangerter, 13th Fighter Squadron pilot, briefs Japan Minister of Defense, Nobuo Kishi, about the F-16 Fighting Falcon, and the 35th FW’s mission to defend Japan, during a visit at Misawa Air Base on April 3, 2021. During the visit senior leaders emphasized the importance of U.S. and Japanese bilateral interoperability through realistic, high quality training and operations. They also discussed the strategic importance of Misawa Air Base as the premier location for aircraft to conduct training in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Air force photo by Maj. Cody Chiles)