179th, Boy Scouts Honor Flag Day Published June 8, 2011 By 2nd Lt. Holli Snyder 179th AW/Public Affairs MANSFIELD, Ohio -- Boy Scouts from Troop 126 in Belleville were on base today to participate in a flag disposal ceremony in honor of Flag Day and to enjoy a cookout provided by the 179th Aerospace Ground Equipment shop. As a tradition each year, Master Sgt. Roger Williams of the 179th AGE shop, organizes a flag disposal ceremony and takes in donations from the local community to properly dispose of them. This year, Senior Master Sgt. Craig Dotson, an adult leader for Troop 126 and member of the 179th AGE shop helped organize the ceremony. The organizers received a record number of more than 500 flags from the surrounding communities and Veterans Service Organizations to include Prisoner of War/Missing in Action, state of Ohio, and American flags. "We should listen to veteran's music so that we burn them with honor and respect," said one of the Boy Scout troops during the safety briefing that morning. The group then moved to a designated area of the base where an American flag was raised at the site while patriotic music played in the background. Williams then explained that there would be two burn pits, one for the blue field of the flag and the other for the red and white stripes. The Boy Scouts then helped to cut up the flags and separate them into their respective burn pits. After all the flags had been properly disposed of, the Boy Scouts moved into the AGE shop for a cookout lunch and received goodie bags with patriotic memorabilia. When asked if the Boy Scouts would receive a tab for this, Randy Echelberger, Scout Master for Troop 126, replied that they would not receive a tab but that it was a great community service activity for them.