Pictured, from left, are Donald Scott Peters, 914 Air Refueling Wing command chief; Jose Pagan, director of careers and technical education at the LoGuidice educational center; John O’Connor, Ed.D., E2CCB Assistant Superintendent for Management Services; and Janeil Rey, Ph.D., Director of Adult Education and Workforce Development at E2CCB. Photos by Anthony Dolce

Fredonia’s LoGuidice BOCES Center and Director of Careers and Technical Education Jose Pagan received a special donation on Tuesday from 914 Air Refueling Wing Command Chief Scott Peters.

The flag and accompanying shadowbox were donated over Iraq and Syria during Pagan’s deployment last year. Pagan, in coordination with Peters, organized the presentation of the flag.

Donating to a school only made sense to Peters.

“I want to say thank you to each of you, you are my real hero and our real heroes”, Peters said. “You set the standards for our forces for tomorrow and let them move forward. “

Peters, who was a teacher for six years, and his wife, also a teacher, understand the importance of the school environment to those deployed overseas, as Peters himself has seen with his own eyes.

“When I was in Iraq in the middle of the war, what happened every day was home school care,” Peters said. “You took care of our families and contacted them and sent us packages. I can’t tell you how important this is. We have an easy job. It’s our spouses, our family at home, and you who have the hard work.

Peters, who is Pagan’s command chief, was particularly impressed with what the LoGuidice Center has done to support Pagan over the past few years and viewed it as a show of Pagan leadership.

“You stood up for Joe to make things happen for him and that shows me his quality of leadership,” Peters said. “We are all leaders but Joe is really a leader, that’s what we expect from our leaders. He does this because of the support you have given him.

The LoGuidice Center wasn’t the only one to receive an impressive accolade on Tuesday, as Pagan himself was surprised during the presentation. In addition to acknowledging Pagan’s selection as one of the US Air Force‘s 12 Outstanding Airmen, Peters also surprised Pagan with a promotion. On July 1, Pagan will be promoted to the rank of Senior Master Sergeant, which Pagan learned on the spot when the flag was presented.

The flag and shadowbox gift, which has been certified by pilots and flight personnel specifically for the LoGuidice educational center, comes with three signed certificates and a photo of the rescue team. BOCES Deputy Superintendent for Management Services John O’Connor said the LoGuidice Center is honored to receive the shadowbox and will put it in plain view.

“It’s been a hell of a year and we will proudly display it”, O’Connor said.