U.S. soldiers flying the American flag in Iraq.

Last week I was at one of the local FOBs (Foward Operations Base) and while standing in front of my vehicle saw something I thought of as beautiful. I saw two lonely soldiers carry the American flag out to the pole and slowly hoist the colors. As I saw this, although I was alone, I came to the posisition of attention and rendered a salute. The two soldiers also saluted, then stared at the flag for about five minutes, and slowly lowered it. I saluted again and watched as the two folded the flag and carried it back in the building. I wondered what exactly just happened. I would find out over the course of the next few days.

A few days later while having dinner with some of the guys, a comment was made about a policy that forbids the flying of the American flag on military posts in Iraq. I was not aware of this policy, then I remembered the two soldiers from FOB O'Ryan and their taking down the flag after a few minutes. I told the guys about it, and some of us came to the conclusion that the flag is secretly hoisted and saluted out of respect and to avoid politics.

Yesterday, I returned to FOB O'Ryan and while waiting to go to the training area and link up with our Iraqi soldiers, I and Staff Sgt. Tilo, of American Samoa, noticed the same flag raising. Only this time, the soldiers raised five different Stars and Stripes, flag goes up, salute given, time passes, flag comes down, salute rendered and so on.

I had to find out the reason for this action. I asked some of the soldiers what was going on. As it turns out the flags are for various veterans groups and possibly caskets. The thing I like about it is the fact that we are 13,000 miles from home and could lie about the flags flying over Iraqi soil on a combat outpost, but out of RESPECT we, or those soldiers rather, refused to. I've heard it said that integrity is not what one does when people are watching, but what one does when they're alone. Those two soldiers have integrity. People often ask "why do you stay in the military?" It's the people and what they do when they're alone.

So please, next time you're at a public event and the flag is being honored, think of those two soldiers or the soldier that asked to have his/her casket drapped in the colors. It's called respect.