| Today's good news story. Hat tip Never Yet Melted. |
The visit marked not only the end of Colonel Dreyer's final deployment, but also the beginning of Lieutenant Dreyer's first deployment. During the visit, the colonel presented his daughter with the family's American flag. "This flag symbolizes our family's dedication to serving in the military," said the colonel, who enlisted in the Marines in 1970. "I have carried this flag during my deployments over the years; my oldest daughter, SSgt. Kristine Dreyer, carried it to Iraq in 2003, and now my youngest daughter is stepping up to continue the tradition."
The flag, originally flown in front of the home of Colonel Dreyer's father, a retired Army WWII and Vietnam veteran, has accompanied the colonel on every deployment. "Originally, I carried it as an identification measure in case my aircraft were to crash in foreign territory," said the MH-53 Pavelow and HH-60 Pavehawk pilot. "Now, it has turned into a family heirloom. Maybe in 20 years, my now 4-year-old grandson will be accepting this flag from his mother or aunt during his first deployment."
| I bet he will, too. |
"I feel proud to be able to continue this tradition," said Lieutenant Dreyer, a C-130 Hercules navigator deployed from the 50th Airlift Squadron, Little Rock AFB, Ark., "I've grown up watching my dad serve his country, so it was only natural that I do the same. The Air Force is home for the Dreyer family."