Tech. Sgt. Joseph Perez, 6th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron crew chief, performs pre-flight checks on a KC-135 Stratotanker in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command's Operation Noble Defender at the Henry E. Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, June 29, 2022. The exercise is an integrated air and missile defense operation designed to ensure the defense and security of the northern and southern approaches to North America. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Alexander Cook)