End of the road for ‘Heroes Highway’
Senior Master Sgt. Scott Strickland, center, 332nd Expeditionary Medical Group first sergeant, participates in the folding of the U.S. flag during a Sept. 1 ceremony at Joint Base Balad, Iraq, that retired the canopy and flag that marked “Heroes Highway.”
The event was another sign the base’s mission is coming to an end. Strickland, deployed from the 81st Medical Support Squadron, said, “More than 35,000 wounded
warriors have passed under the flag as they were brought to the trauma bays on litters from the ‘helos.’ “ The flag was the last of several that were in place over the years. Each served as a greeting for Wounded Warriors and a reminder that they were in the
care of American medics. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Jeffrey Schultze)