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On 17 June 2008, the Mesquite Blacksheep Composite Squadron performed their annual Flag Day Ceremony, commemorating the adoption of the United States flag on June 14, 1777.
The ceremony started when Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Brittany Stelting spoke about the American flag and the proper way to retire it.
Afterwards, several American flags that were considered worn out, damaged or badly stained were placed into a burn pot as part of the retirement ceremony. Squadron members participated in the event, as they took turns to ceremonially place a flag in the burn pot.The event ended with two final flags that were each retired by Lt. Col. Mike Eberle, Squadron Commander, and Lt. Col. Jack Birchum, the Squadron Moral Leadership Officer.
The ceremony taught the cadets the Civil Air Patrol's Core Value of Respect: respect for the flag, respect for the country, and respect for the men and women who have died defending it.
"Our flag deserves more respect for retirement than just a trash can," said Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Stelting. "We teach our cadets that this symbol represents our freedom.”
Calvin Coolidge, 30th President of the United States, once said, "But when we look at our flag and behold it emblazoned with all our rights, we must remember that it is equally a symbol of our duties. Every glory that we associate with it is the result of duty done. A yearly contemplation of our flag strengthens and purifies the national conscience."
The U.S. Civil Air Patrol was founded on Dec. 1, 1941, less than a week before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought the U.S. into World War II. CAP, the official auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, is a nonprofit organization with more than 55,000 members nationwide. CAP performs 95 percent of inland search and rescue missions, as tasked by the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center. Its volunteers also perform homeland security, disaster relief and counterdrug missions at the request of federal, state and local agencies. Members play a leading role in aerospace education and serve as mentors to the more than 22,000 young people currently participating in the CAP Cadet Program. For more information, go to www.cap.gov.
The Black Sheep Composite Squadron meets at 7 p.m. every Tuesday at the Mesquite Metro Airport and offers a variety of activities and classes each week for cadets. For more information concerning membership in the Black Sheep Squadron as an adult or cadet (age 12 or older), visit www.tx214.org.
by Cadet Chief Master Sergeant Andrew Smith
