The Zone Maintenance Unit of UT’s Facilities Services takes great pride and care in maintaining the American flags on the main campus and the agriculture campus.
Crews are responsible not only for making sure the flags are in proper condition, but also for raising and lowering them in accordance with proclamations from the Tennessee governor and the president of the United States.
Zone Maintenance Foreman Bill Hutchins is responsible for making sure the flags are in proper condition. If a flag is tattered in any way from the wind, he replaces it. All worn flags are given to the campus ROTC office for appropriate disposal.
There are seventeen flags on campus and meticulous care goes into inspecting all of them.
“I have learned a lot about proper flag etiquette in the short time I have overseen the flags on campus,” said Hutchins. “It has come with great honor to be a part of the team overseeing this charge.”
Caring for campus flags has been the Zone Maintenance Unit’s responsibility for about two years, and the unit’s crew members take the job very seriously.
“We take great pride in maintaining the flags because it is a way to show respect for all of the sacrifices made for our great nation,” said Unit Foreman Johnny Waggoner.
“Sometimes it is a happy honor and sometimes a sad honor, but it is always an honor,” he said.