Banded Brothers

Majors Gary "Ham'n" and Lane "Snap" Beene are more than blood brothers; they are banded together via the Air Force. The first and youngest, is an active-duty F-15 pilot assigned to the 60th Fighter Squadron out of Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and the other is a fulltime Air Force Reserve F-16 pilot with the 457th Fighter Squadron at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas. Sunday was only the second time in their military careers that they flew together, or rather against each other in what has been deemed, a cage match. When asked who won the match -- well, let's just say the answer differs between the brothers. The air-to-air combat training these pilots get by pairing different fighter jets together gives them an opportunity to train on air-to-air combat tactics rather than air-to-ground.

Building strong relations for humanity

Airman 1st Class Lisa Smith, 301st Civil Engineer Squadron Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, administration apprentice operates a concrete vibrater to consolidate the concrete around the reinforcing steel. The 36-member team worked on this Innovative Readiness Training project at the Helemano Plantation in Oahu, Hawaii., for two weeks performing concrete foundation construction; framing; commercial/residential electrical work; entomology; supply; and surveying to name a few areas.

Building strong relations for humanity

Staff Sgt. Lee Walter, 301st Civil Engineer Squadron Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, heavy equipment operator apprentice, replaces a support stud above a window opening on a cabin. The 36-member team worked on this Innovative Readiness Training project at the Helemano Plantation in Oahu, Hawaii., for two weeks performing concrete foundation construction; framing; commercial/residential electrical work; entomology; supply; and surveying to name a few areas.

Families welcome home reservists

The 2 a.m. arrival time of his father, a reservist with the 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, returning from a 90-day Aerospace Expeditionary Force deployment in Iraq did not curtail the excitement in this little boy, nor any of the family members awaiting the return of the other 100 reservists. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Laura Dermarderosian-Smith)

Hugs and kisses

Tech. Sgt. Paul Otto, 301st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron F-16 crew chief, returns to a family of smiling faces after a deployment to Balad Air Base, Iraq. Nearly 200 Air Force Reservists from the 301st Fighter Wing out of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom recently. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia)

Home again

Tech. Sgt. Jose Castellanos, Sr., 301st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron aircraft weapons systems technician, receives lots of hugs after a deployment to Balad Air Base, Iraq. Nearly 200 Air Force Reservists from the 301st Fighter Wing out of the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom recently. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Tech. Sgt. Julie Briden-Garcia)