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However, for one U.S. service member here, one single, specific, U.S. flag provides a far more personal representation. Although worn, tattered, and frayed at the edges, it has witnessed the highs and lows of six different military deployments and has flown in five different countries.It's more than just the cloth and material, though, which gives this flag its special meaning. It represents the cause for which Soldiers have given their lives. It represents the Soldiers who serve their country, putting themselves into harm's way, preserving the freedoms we enjoy today.This specific flag has special meaning for Col. Chuck E. A. Sexton, the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team commander, 3rd Infantry Division, who has carried it with him for the past 24 years. The respect he has for this flag is a quality bestowed upon him by his parents. "Both my mother and father's families were immigrants to the United States who left Europe to get away from oppression and slavery in Eastern and Western Europe," said Sexton, a New York City native. "When they came to this country, they valued the country so much they defended it during World War II. They taught me as a kid growing up, to always respect my country and flag." Respect for the flag has carried over to Sexton's military service. After his initial enlistment in the Army as a private, he was commissioned as an Infantry second lieutenant in July 1985. "It's a part of you. It's something that's very comforting to bring with me each time I go," said the self-assured New Yorker. "When I flew it in Somalia, it got some battle damage there. It also got some damage in the first Gulf War. It's very comforting to have it with you. Usually I keep it folded now, because it's frayed at the edges in a couple of places and it's got some shrapnel rips in it. "In the first Gulf War the stars and stripes got a little greyer from the oil fires," he continued. "It took a little bit of shrapnel from Iraqi artillery and it put a couple of rips in it. The wind was really strong then, so it kind of unraveled a little bit at the ends, too." Sexton said he remembers with clarity a windy day, Feb. 27, 1991, after capturing the Jalibah Airfield, a place south of Tallil, along Highway 8, during Operation Desert Storm. "After we captured the airfield, at eight o'clock in the morning and things were still smoking, we pulled out our flags because we had them stowed during the attack," he said. "I mounted mine on top of the track. It was for a good reason part of it was for morale and the other was so we wouldn't get hit by our own aircraft. It was a really good feeling to see the good old Stars and Stripes unfurled and flying in the breeze. You heard a lot of the guys cheering and it was a good feeling, seeing that flag flying." It flew every day, and was then refolded until his next deployment, when he was called to serve in Somalia in 1993, where it was unfurled and once more flew on a daily basis. "Now, when someone asks me to re-enlist them, or asks me to promote them, I always bring it with me," said Sexton. "It's kind of neat to look over the last 20-plus years and the number of people that have stood under that flag with their hands up swearing an oath either an oath of re-enlistment, or an oath to our nation. It's easily in the hundreds now. "It's even neater to watch the Soldiers you've been with. It causes it to become more tangible and more of a living thing. That is the most critical part it represents the people. That's what makes our country great. It's the people it represents, instead of one specific leader. The flag talks about that continuity," he concluded, with a knowing smile. June 22, 2010: Written by Maj. Stephen Holt, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

As a way to elevate his sorrow and honor the U.S. military, Wagner began shaping marble stones into crests, crosses and hearts. Since that time, he has created many works of art for units and individual service members."This started out as a way to displace myself from what's going on over here, working during off hours to focus on other things," said Wagner, a native of Rainier, Wash. Wagner said he lost all three Soldiers on one mission, and he created hearts, crucifixes, and lancers for each of the parents as a way to connect to them. During that first tour, in 2004-05, he carved a full-size lancer for 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division. Then, during his 2006-07 tour with 3rd SBCT, 2nd ID, he created a replica of the Indian-head shield that represents the 2nd ID. When he deployed with the 3rd SBCT here in August, he received the request to make that crest, which includes the 2nd ID shield on top of an arrowhead, with the number three located above the shield. The piece, carved from nearly fifty pounds of marble, is a chance to leave a permanent personal memento with the brigade, said Wagner. "I was born at Madigan Army Hospital [at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.], so I kind of share the pride of the brigade," he said. "And for the Soldiers, this is my gift back because of what the military has done for me. It's a lot of pride for me to be asked to do this, and to offer it to the Soldiers of the brigade." Wagner is quick to share his gift with any who are interested. Often, when Soldiers drop off vehicles to his shop for repair, they see the stone carvings he has laying around. If a curious individual asks about them, Wagner gladly explains how they can create their own art from a simple block of stone. "If you give someone a square block, they can take a saw to the corners and round it off with a washer to make a perfect circle," said Wagner. "That's what I show to Soldiers I meet; to help them take their mind off of what's going on and let them drift somewhere else." After they are taught basic carving techniques, the Soldiers then have the opportunity to enlighten the teacher. "I can't understand why people do what they do just from looking in their eyes, but when I see what they make I see different creative views," said Wagner. "Everybody has a different opinion of how life is, and you can see that when someone is given a piece of stone and turns it into a unit crest, a shot glass, or even just a ball." By spending time here just like Soldiers do, he understands how they feel about being away from home, he said. His hope is to offer those willing to listen some of the knowledge he's gained through years of life experiences. "Our main thing here is to help Soldiers," he said. "The main thing is to at least make the time here seem shorter." Since he started working with stone more than seven years ago, Wagner has provided more than 100 Soldiers with a piece of marble and the proper tools to shape it. When the time comes this summer for him to present the crest to the 3rd SBCT, all will know that it also represents a piece of his heart. June 19, 2010: Written by Pvt. Zach Zuber, 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division