# New ‘flag ladies’ bring unique skills, undergo DLA-specific training

/ Published Oct. 11, 2013
PHILADELPHIA, 
Only seven days into her embroidery position, one of Defense Logistics Agency’s newest “flag ladies” set a personal goal to stitch just one star on a presidential flag, she said.

Linda Farrell joined the proud staff of DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles’ flag room in September, along with two other new embroiderers, Laura Huynh and Linh Ho. The three women are learning to make various battalion and brigade flags for military units, in addition to the presidential and vice presidential flags, which take two embroiderers 45 days to complete. 

“The first day in here, I was in awe,” Farrell said. “There’s so much pride, passion [and] humility [amongst the staff ... [And] they all have their own touch. I can’t sit still, I get so excited!”

Farrell comes to DLA with more than 50 years of experience as a designer seamstress, she said. She described the work she now does in the flag room as very meticulous as she learns how to hand- embroider mirror-imaged flags and use machine embroidery equipment.

One of the embroidery experts in the room, Chae Cacciola, currently trains the new employees on DLA’s specific hand-embroidery techniques, Hue Nguyen, acting supervisor of the flag room said. The length of time it takes to fully train new staff varies. 

Huynh and Ho also have backgrounds in embroidery, both through family ties. Ho said she learned to embroider at an early age, as her father owned a fabric shop in her native country, Vietnam. Huynh mainly embroidered as a hobby prior to working at DLA, having learned from her mother who also works in the flag room, she said.

“[Working] in the flag room is a really unique job, you create flags by hand,” Huynh said. “It’s very intricate [and] it takes a lot of time. It’s a beautiful product and it’s a good thing to support the troops.”

Nguyen attests to high-quality skills of new embroiderers.

“I think all of the new ladies do a very good job,” Nguyen said. “They learn very fast. I think all of the ladies in this room can sew the president and vice president flag.”

The new ladies were hired to replace three employees who retired last year with 30 to 42 years of service, Nguyen said. She described the work done in the flag room as interesting and prideful, which is why its staff does not want to leave until retirement.

“Each of the ladies working in this room, we all are proud of our jobs,” Nguyen said. “We’re very happy to support the warfighter and on top of that, we all want to make excellent products for the customer.” 

Only seven days into her embroidery position, one of Defense Logistics Agency’s newest “flag ladies” set a personal goal to stitch just one star on a presidential flag, she said.

Linda Farrell joined the proud staff of DLA Troop Support Clothing and Textiles’ flag room in September, along with two other new embroiderers, Laura Huynh and Linh Ho. The three women are learning to make various battalion and brigade flags for military units, in addition to the presidential and vice presidential flags, which take two embroiderers 45 days to complete. 

“The first day in here, I was in awe,” Farrell said. “There’s so much pride, passion [and] humility [amongst the staff ... [And] they all have their own touch. I can’t sit still, I get so excited!”

Farrell comes to DLA with more than 50 years of experience as a designer seamstress, she said. She described the work she now does in the flag room as very meticulous as she learns how to hand- embroider mirror-imaged flags and use machine embroidery equipment.

One of the embroidery experts in the room, Chae Cacciola, currently trains the new employees on DLA’s specific hand-embroidery techniques, Hue Nguyen, acting supervisor of the flag room said. The length of time it takes to fully train new staff varies. 

 Huynh and Ho also have backgrounds in embroidery, both through family ties. Ho said she learned to embroider at an early age, as her father owned a fabric shop in her native country, Vietnam. Huynh mainly embroidered as a hobby prior to working at DLA, having learned from her mother who also works in the flag room, she said.

 “[Working] in the flag room is a really unique job, you create flags by hand,” Huynh said. “It’s very intricate [and] it takes a lot of time. It’s a beautiful product and it’s a good thing to support the troops.”

 Nguyen attests to high-quality skills of new embroiderers.

 "I think all of the new ladies do a very good job,” Nguyen said. “They learn very fast. I think all of the ladies in this room can sew the president and vice president flag.”

The new ladies were hired to replace three employees who retired last year with 30 to 42 years of service, Nguyen said. She described the work done in the flag room as interesting and prideful, which is why its staff does not want to leave until retirement.

“Each of the ladies working in this room, we all are proud of our jobs,” Nguyen said. “We’re very happy to support the warfighter and on top of that, we all want to make excellent products for the customer.”