By NORINE ROWE
NAS Patuxent River Public Affairs

PATUXENT RIVER NAVAL AIR STATION, MD—Students at Green Holly Elementary School in Lexington Park hung out yellow ribbons at the entrance to their school in honor of Sailors from Southern Maryland serving in Iraq.

“We have a lot of military families in our school, and this is a small act we can do to show our appreciation for all they’re doing for us in the war,” said Principal Jill Mills.

The school is also conducting a penny drive to purchase care packages for the troops in Iraq, Mills said. These packages, accompanied by letters from the students, will be sent to some of the school’s family members serving in Iraq for distribution to their units. Money from the penny drive will also be donated to NAS Patuxent River’s Fleet and Family Support Center.

“The war in Iraq is an ongoing issue for our school community,” said Elizabeth White, a guidance counselor at Green Holly Elementary. “We want to reassure our students and their families that we’re here to support them and that we understand their sadness at being separated from loved ones.”

Helping students hang yellow ribbons April 10 were Cmdr. John Hardison, ADCS John Hogg, AM2 Richard Frakes and AM1(AW) Phillip Walter of the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21, which maintains a Personal Excellence Partnership with Green Holly Elementary.

-USN-

Photo by Norine Rowe
Members of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 21 and students at Green Holly Elementary School hang yellow ribbons in honor of service members serving in Iraq. They are, from left: ADCS John Hogg with Darness Dyson, AM1(AW) Phillip Walter with Leeroy Bundalian, AM2 Richard Frakes with Tyler Baker and school counselor Elizabeth White with Joe Soikowski.