Captain, Squadron Donate Flag for Staff Support During Deployment

It was a real homecoming for Capt. Jeremy Raush, an Air Force F-15 E Strike Eagle Weapons System officer, at a special flag raising ceremony held at the East Baton Rouge Parish School System’s Christa McAuliffe Center Friday morning, September 2.  The airman is the son of a district employee, data coordinator Linda Raush, and has been serving in Afghanistan.  While deployed, he sent an American flag to the staff at the McAuliffe Center. The flag’s certificate stated that it   flew during a combat mission in an F-15 E Strike Eagle during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. Capt. Raush was present as the flag was raised over U. S. soil for the first time.  The McAuliffe Center employees supported Raush and the 336th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron with care packages and letters, including some letters from elementary school students.  Today, the Broadmoor High School JROTC Color Guard officially raised the flag at the McAuliffe Center, then removed it, folded it and presented it to Debra Franklin, the site’s administrator. 

In addition, Alan (Doug) Madden, a LEAP specialist from the Accountability Department, presented Raush with an embroidered star saved from a militarily destroyed U.S. flag obtained from a Texas veterans group.  The star had been carried by a Vietnam War veteran, who later gave it to Madden’s 86-year-old father, who is a World War II veteran.  His father then gave it to Madden to give to Raush.

Present for the ceremony were (pictured, left to right):  Raush, Franklin and Broadmoor JROTC cadets Makalia Richardson, Tahja Miles, Irone Tate and Kaitlon Smith.  Raush is a graduate of Audubon Elementary, Sherwood Middle and Broadmoor High schools.  He also earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University (LSU), where he was a member of the LSU Band and the university’s Air Force ROTC program.  His father, the late Dr. John Raush, was the associate dean of the LSU School of Music.