The series takes place in an alternate Earth in the mid-20th century and revolves around a group of teenage moe anthropomorphic girls who use machines equipped to their legs known as Striker Units to do aerial combat.
In the anime and manga series, Yoshika joins the 501st Joint Fighter Wing, an international military squadron which also includes Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, Mio Sakamoto, Charlotte E. "Shirley" Yeager, Lynette Bishop, Perrine H. Clostermann, Erica Hartmann, Gertrud Barkhorn, Francesca Lucchini, Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen, and Sanya V. Litvyak.
The protagonists of the anime are part of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing (第501統合戦闘航空団, Daigōmaruichi Tōgō Sentō Kōkū Dan), a multinational team of 11 soldiers commanded by Minna-Dietlinde Wilcke, also known as the Strike Witches.
The characters appearing in the ongoing light novel are part of the Suomus Independent Volunteer Aerial Squadron (スオムス義勇独立飛行中隊, Suomusu Giyū Dokuritsu Hikō Chūtai).
The 506nd Joint Fighter Wing (第506統合戦闘航空団, Daigōmaruroku Tōgō Sentō Kōkū Dan), also known as the Noble Witches, unlike other JFWs, this Wing are separated into two units that were stationed in different bases, A-Unit in Sedan consisted of witches from many European and Fusoan nobilities and B-Unit in Dijon consisted of witches from Liberion, this arrangement was made as a compromise between European countries who believe that their nobilities are the important symbols for European reconstruction efforts and Liberion, a federal republic without any nobilities, but providing many needed materials and arms for said reconstruction efforts.