Local Boy Scout says goodbye to his heroes: 183rdreceives token prior to deploying

By Sgt. 1st Class Ronny E. Smith, 43rd Sustainment Brigade Public Affairs OfficeSeptember 10, 2010

Local Boy Scout says goodbye to his heroes: 183rd  receives token prior to deploying
Fort Carson, Colo.-Pfc. Marquis Camp, 183rd Maintenance Company, 68th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, 43rd Sustainment Brigade, 4th Infantry Division, recieves a flag from James Frye after picking up his weapon as he prepares to deploy. Frye di... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT CARSON, Colo.-Members of the 183rd Maintenance Company were treated to a warm farewell as they prepared to embark on a 12-month tour to Afghanistan from a Boy Scout.

James Frye wanted to take on a project that could help him earn his Eagle Scout rank. Frye went on line and a project called The Pocket Flag Project immediately caught his eye.

"As soon as I read the site's information, I knew this had to be one to do," said Frye, "not because it was going to be easy, because it meant something to me. My father was in the United States Air Force and retired after 29 years of service."

For about one full month he gathered the necessary approval signatures to get the project underway until completed. Frye also collected enough money to fund his project in order to purchase enough flags and supplies to hand to the 300-plus deploying personnel.

"After the materials, my dad and I spent hours trying to figure out the right way to fold them. It sounds easy but the flags aren't cut to exactly the right dimensions as the larger ones so you have to alter the process a little bit. We finally got a system down and I called up about 12 of my fellow scouts to come over and fold," said Frye.

Frye knew he was on a tight deadline, and by the time he had written an e-mail to the office of Maj. Gen. David G. Perkins, commanding general, 4th Infantry Division and Fort Carson, he received a reply requesting he hand out the flags the next day.

Frye and his team moved quickly and produced more than 700 flags that day. The flags were folded as in military honors, but miniature in size, painstakingly inspected to ensure only a blue surface was showing.

With what was left over after giving out to the 183rd, he handed to rest to personnel from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Inf. Div., who were to depart later in the week.

"It was a lot of work but it was well worth it and looking back I wish I would have folded more. I received a lot of thanks, but I didn't want them. People don't need to thank me for what I had done; they need to thank these great men and women protecting our nation," Frye said.