East Milton Elementary School received a special gift from Master Sgt. James Amos this week, a United States flag flown over Al Taji, Iraq during a combat mission on September 11, 2015. Amos, who recently returned home from a nine month deployment in the region, wanted to recognize the school in which his wife Holly works as an paraprofessional.
“I was trying to think of a way to give back to this school where my wife works at and my daughter (Breanna) went to,” Amos said. “What a better way to honor them then to have a flag flown in their name.”
On Tuesday afternoon, the school welcomed Amos and his family with an assembly in the school’s cafeteria.
“I didn’t do this for the recognition, Amos said. “I did this as a way to say ‘thank you’.”
Amos is thankful for the school staff is showing their support to his family while he was away on duty. He is also appreciative of the students who also have parents serving in the armed forces.
In addition to being proud of her husband, Holly said there many students at East Milton Elementary in a similar situations. On several occasions, Holly has spoke to and listened to students with family serving overseas in order to share comforting insight.
“It’s nice to be able to give them guidance,” Holly said. “It is nice to be able to lend an ear.”
Principal Terry Paschall said the school has students with parents from several local military installations including Eglin Air Force Base, Hurlburt Field and even Pensacola. Paschall said the flag will remain visible at the school in order to honor not only the Amos family, but the rest of the families who serve in the military.
“It symbolizes the courage of our brave service men and women and the lives of those lost or maimed in order to preserve the great freedom we enjoy,” Paschall said.
While just recently returning home to East Milton, Amos is enjoying two weeks of rest while catching up with Holly, Breanna and son, Jacob. In addition to finding out what his next assignment will be, Amos will resume duties as the Assistant Chief for Operations with the Eglin Air Force Base Fire Department.
While serving in Iraq, Amos served as a fire chief for a rapid deployment team designated to provide fire protection for different aviation regiments. Amos said the process of having an American flag flown in an aircraft during a combat mission does not occur that often.
“You may not think of a flag as having that much weight, but every ounce you put on that aircraft has to be have accounted for,” Amos said. “You have to work with the pilot and the flight crew, so they know about it. They actually have (the flag) in the cockpit with them.”
The combat flag was in the pilot seat of a AH-64D Longbow Apache during a combat mission as part of Operation Inherent Resolve.
The certificate, which is shown in the flag display currently featured in the school’s main office, is signed by the aircraft’s pilot and co-pilot and reads as follows…
“This flag was flown on a combat mission in Al Taji, Iraq in support of Operation Inherent Resolve on an AH-64D Apache Helicopter. It holds within it the honor, patriotism and fidelity of every soldier that has served, especially those that have given the ultimate price for freedom. It symbolizes the love of country and fellow man every soldier carries into combat, and the peace that surely awaits us all. This flag was specially flown for East Milton Elementary School. On Behalf of the “Silver Spurs”, Bravo troop, 3-6 Cavalry Regiment on September 11, 2015.”
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: East Milton Elementary receives Combat Flag