Commentary: Pausing for flag a small sacrifice

By Capt. Ric Haeussler, strategic plans officerMay 13, 2009

FORT JACKSON, S.C. -- Tradition. It is one of Fort Jackson's hallmarks.

Before training and transformation, it is the first underlying pillar of Fort Jackson's Vision Statement - "a proud legacy of training and inspiring American Soldiers...."

If we believe this, then why do we frequently overlook a common Army tradition' You know this time-honored military custom to which I refer. It happens every day at Fort Jackson - the posting and lowering of the flag.

Routinely, and too often, we fail to observe and render honors to our national colors. Some are not guilty, but many of us are. Every uniformed or patriotic motorist who knowingly keeps driving at 6 a.m. or 5 p.m. needs to remember why we serve.

I do not believe the reason for this overlooked observance is a genuine lack of patriotism. Perhaps the problem is complacency. Maybe it is a lack of knowledge about tradition or protocol.

Sometimes it might be laziness, or just simply oversight. Some of us probably believe that the right thing to do is indeed to keep driving. There are many arguments as to why drivers should not stop:

-- As an Initial Entry Training TRADOC installation, between all the graduations and family days, there are too many drivers on Thursdays or Fridays who might not understand.

-- If we tried to block all major intersections to observe this honored custom - which many installations do observe - it could create traffic hazards.

However, I don't buy those arguments.

Last week, I was approaching the main gate to leave post when traffic was briefly stopped for a motorist who was conducting a U-turn. During the brief U-turn traffic halt, retreat sounded, followed by the cannon shot and the playing of "To the Colors," just as it does every day.

Ten or more cars were stopped to wait. I was first in line. I hopped off my motorcycle, and three other Soldiers got out of their cars. We each stood at attention and saluted.

During my salute, I glanced at two Soldiers in uniform through a couple of windshields directly in front of and adjacent to me. The Soldiers, an officer and an NCO, both stayed in their cars. One even looked me in the eye then cocked his head to one side in apparent annoyance that I was blocking the lane and had chosen to hold up the rest of the line.

Having commanded Soldiers in a Basic Combat Training battalion for two years -- and in that time participating in many family days and graduations - I believe enforcing this simple observance more stringently will help our new Soldiers. Small customs that we often overlook promote morale, build esprit de corps and reinforce the sense of tradition we want to instill in our warriors.

I am convinced that new Soldiers are proud to demonstrate what they have learned. Their cadre have spent nine or 10 weeks drilling this very observance into each Soldier's daily routine.

Would it really inconvenience law enforcement to send out just a few extra MPs at 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. to block five to 10 key intersections on post for less than three minutes'

If so, maybe it could at least be done in the evenings when many motorists are heading home or guests and families are sharing time with their loved ones.

Remember that these loved ones are Soldiers. They may be new Soldiers, but that is all the more reason to do so; for they are the very ones who so recently volunteered.

And they volunteered for what' To serve, protect, defend - and if need be - die for something greater than themselves: Our nation.

And don't forget that this great nation, the United States of America, is symbolized by our flag, Old Glory. She is that honorable, stalwart, tattered and torn, uplifted, beaten and trodden, weathered, proud, colorful, controversial, loved, hated, presentable on behalf of the president of the United States and a grateful nation, changed, yet unchanging piece of glorious cloth - the Stars and Stripes.

Is it worth it to you to go out of your way for a few minutes each day to pay traditional respects to Old Glory'

It is to me.