Reservist

ISS1 2015

Reservist Magazine is the award-winning official publication of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Quarterly issues include news and feature articles about the men and women who comprise America's premier national maritime safety and security

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Photos from this year's Coast Guard Flags Across America event at Arlington national Cemetery, Arlington, Va., nov. 8, from the top, Chief Petty Offcer Chris Sims looks for graves of fallen shipmates to place American and Coast Guard ensigns, Chief Petty Offcer Michael Comess hands out a bundle of fags, Coast Guard Honor Guard presents the colors, and volunteers pose for a group photo. Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Garcia, a food service specialist from Springfield, Va., echoed the sentiment, seeing Flags Across America as, "a great opportunity to volunteer and give back to those who served before us." Attending with his wife Michelle and their daughters, Marisa, Ariana and Veronica, Garcia said he hoped his daughters, "will be able to gain a perspective of the importance of service in the Coast Guard and the magnificent history we have." This was not the first Flags Across America event Senior Chief Petty Officer Mary Cunningham attended, though it was the first time she brought her family, which included her husband Chuck and their 6-year-old twin sons Torry and Tavaris. Cunningham, who serves as the enlisted policy advisor in the office of diversity and inclusion, actively seeks ways to instill in her sons a commitment to service, taking them along to volunteer for local activities with programs like Meals on Wheels. However, with Cunningham slated to retire while Torry and Tavaris are still in elementary school, she hopes events like Flags Across America will help her boys gain a better understanding of her role as a service member. "We will be here every year, even after retirement," Cunningham said. — Story by PA3 Charlotte Fritts and photos by PA3 Lisa Ferdinando Issue 1 • 2015 � RESERVIST 13

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