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An American flag sitting in the cockpit of an Apache helicopter

(James Warden/Stars and Stripes)

Balad, Iraq, Feb. 28, 2008: An American flag sits in the cockpit of an Apache that Chief Warrant Officer 3 Sean Merrill checks on in Balad, Iraq, before he leaves on a mission. Pilots bring the flags with them on missions and then give them to people who send them care packages.

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