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Arizona Based F-35B Program Moves To Marine Corps Air Station In Japan

The U.S. is sending an F-35B squadron from Yuma to a Marine Corps Air Station in Japan.

The Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 left Yuma for Iwakuni, Japan on Monday.

According to a statement from the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing in Miramar, California, the move marks a significant milestone in the F-35B program.

The squadron has roughly 300 personnel and the relocation is a permanent change of station. About 4,000 marines and sailors, and 2,000 civilian employees work at Marine Corps Station Yuma.

KJZZ senior field correspondent Kathy Ritchie has 20 years of experience reporting and writing stories for national and local media outlets — nearly a decade of it has been spent in public media.