Cub Scout Pack 66 visited by Texas Senior Airman

On Tuesday November 25, 2014 Aberdeen Matawan Cub Scout Pack 66 held a special Pack Meeting. In 2012, then Assistant Cubmaster Mark Mills arranged for the Pack to participate in the Pocket Flag Project (http://www.pocketflagproject.com) and sent folded pocket size flags to the Military Troops serving in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan. The boys folded flags not knowing who would ultimately receive them. Some of the scouts who folded the flags crossed over into various Troops in the District, and were on hand during this meeting.

The flags that Pack 66 folded made their way to the crew of a Combat Sortie – specifically the USAF A-10C Warthog, which was assigned to the 74th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron, Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. In early November, Cubmaster Erica Matlick received an email explaining that the airmen who received Pack 66’s folded flags wanted to show their appreciation by presenting a plaque to Pack 66.

A visit was planned to greet Senior Airman Pedro “Pete” Rodriguez, who is currently stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas. Senior Airman Rodriguez had made a special journey to New Jersey to thank the Pack 66 Scouts for sending flags to his Squadron. The scouts and their parents assembled in the Matawan Municipal Community Center. A loud round of applause was heard when Airman Rodriguez came to the microphone in his dress blues. During the presentation, the scouts asked many questions, which Airman Rodriguez was happy to answer. He even discussed the practical jokes that he and his fellow scouts pulled on each other during their camping trips.

This special guest is not only an active serviceman but he also an Eagle Scout from Boy Scout Troop 152 in Texas. He spoke about his journey to become an Eagle Scout, how it was worth all of the hard work and told the scouts to keep on scouting. Airman Rodriguez brought along his Class A Scout uniform shirt and sash with the 40 merit badges that he had worked hard to earn. He spoke of his Eagle project and how he led fellow scouts and others to work towards stocking the community’s food pantry.

At the end, the Pack 66 scouts did their good turn by presenting Airman Rodriguez with a certificate of donation made to the Wounded Warrior Project in his name. The scouts and their families had a memorable first hand experience in meeting Airman Rodriguez and were proud to shake his hand and thank him for his dedication to Scouting and to the U. S. Air Force.