Guardsmen hang well-traveled flag

Two Georgia National Guardsmen hung a special city flag on the wall of Harlem City Hall at Monday's monthly city council meeting.

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Sgt. Bobby Cash and Maj. Bobby Christine hoisted a framed City of Harlem flag that traveled with Cash during his military deployment to Iraq and was signed by his platoon and many other soldiers he met while deployed.

"We took it to Camp Victory, where Operation Iraqi Freedom was coordinated from," said Cash, who also is a Harlem Department of Public Safety officer. "... It saw a lot of travel."

As a military police officer, Cash left for Iraq with the National Guard's 48th Brigade in April 2005. He took the flag back to Iraq with him after a leave in late 2005. Cash, who lives in Harlem, said his unit provided protection for the Air Force's explosive ordinance disposal teams, supply convoys and prisoner transports.

The flag is adorned with messages of thanks and encouragement from soldiers Cash met during his deployment.

While serving in Iraq, Cash said Harlem residents, businesses and churches sent supplies for him and his unit, along with supplies to be passed out to children and families in Iraq.

"They definitely kept the care packages coming," Cash said. "... Go to the Nasiriyah area and there are a few Oliver Hardy T-shirts.''

Christine, Columbia County's associate magistrate judge, was invited to help hang the flag because he paid to have it framed for the city.

Cash also presented a special edition Operation Iraqi Freedom knife to Mayor Scott Dean and a silver Department of Defense coin to Christine.

Also at the meeting, the city council voted unanimously to approve a policy allowing public safety officers to use Tasers as a form of nonlethal force. The devices went into use Tuesday.

The Tasers can only be used on combative suspects who pose a threat to themselves, others or public safety officers.