AL DHAFRA AIR BASE, United Arab Emirates – The Air Force asks a lot of families, including relocating through their years of service.
Brothers, Garrett and Cameron Weston, may have been separated by their service, but the staff sergeants were brought back together at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, then deployed together to Al Dhafra.
The two are on the same rotation, arriving at nearly the same time, thanks to coincidence of a traditional deployment and the timing of the first F-35 Middle East deployment.
Both are active duty but have completely different missions. Garrett is now serving as the 380th Expeditionary Medical Group dental element noncommissioned officer-in-charge, and Cameron is a 380th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron F-35 Lightning II Egress technician.
Raised in the local area surrounding Hill AFB, Garrett has now been back for eight years and Cameron for two years.
“We have a lot of family support around [Hill],” said Garrett.
“For our wives when are deployed,” added Cameron.
The two are also roommates, which they said makes their experience much different than most.
“It’s a lot better rooming with someone you grew up with than trying to get used to someone you just meet,” said Cameron.
They work opposing shifts, but they spend time and exercise together when they can.
The brothers are part of a first-generation military family; however, they do have an older brother who joined the Army and steered them to the Air Force.
“We have an older brother and he basically threatened our lives if we joined the Army,” said Garrett with a chuckle. “I joined to finish school and then decided I was enjoying it and stuck around for a little while longer. I’m finishing my second degree now.”
Cameron said, “I joined right out of high school mainly because I saw Garrett and my older brother doing it, and they had good careers.”
Garrett joined about four years before Cameron and after eight years their paths crossed in their hometown once again.