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A U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor receives fuel from an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker during exercise Checkered Flag, Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, May 14, 2024. Checkered Flag, hosted by the 325th Fighter Wing, is one of the DoD’s largest air-to-air exercises and is designed to integrate 4th- and 5th-generation airframes to enhance mobility and employment capabilities of aviators and maintainers. The exercise responds to Air Combat Command’s plan to train the Immediate Response Force, a dedicated force for “rapid response” to unforeseen or unplanned operations. (U.S. Air Force Photo by Master Sgt. Chris Hibben)