DCS Montessori students support American troops in Afghanistan
By Julie Matuszewski; photos courtesy of DCS Montessori
Master Sergeant Brent Kelsey shares an honorable and special moment with the students of Diana Visser’s class.
In 2019, Diana Visser’s DCS Montessori (DCSM) sixth grade class wrote letters of thanks to the Colorado Air National Guard (CO ANG) 140th wing stationed at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora. The 120th Fighter Squadron, a unit of the CO ANG 140th wing, was deployed to Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan as part of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel and the Resolute Support Mission, a NATO-led mission to train, advise and assist the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces and institutions.
The support the unit received from the DCSM Cougar community was unexpected and greatly appreciated. Master Sergeant Brent Kelsey visited Visser’s classroom to personally thank the students for their letters of support. Kelsey presented the students with the American flag that the unit flew while serving in Afghanistan.
According to the certificate presented to the DCSM class, the flag represents the American forces who have faithfully served in Afghanistan since October of 2001, and it “bears witness to our country’s continuing efforts to destroy terrorist forces and to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used to stage attacks against our homeland.” The flag given to the class was flown on a combat sortie aboard an F-16 Viper assigned to the 120th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron on June 22, 2019.
The American flag and certificate of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Kelsey presents the American flag and certificate in honor and appreciation of the 120th fighter wing to the classroom.
