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Flags For Federal Employees Killed On Duty

By: Jonathan Wilson // December 20, 2011
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The new law would offer flags to the next of kin of federal employees killed in the line of duty.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkadog/3561595648/
The new law would offer flags to the next of kin of federal employees killed in the line of duty.

The families of federal civilian employees killed on the job will now be honored with official American flags, thanks to a new law sponsored by Virginia Senator Jim Webb.

President Barack Obama signed the civilian service recognition act this morning. It authorizes federal agencies to give American flags to families of federal workers killed on the job as a result of a criminal act, terrorism, or natural disaster.

According to the federal office of personnel management, since 1992, nearly 3000 federal civilian workers have died in service of their country, including 24 killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some federal Agencies already have a practice of presenting American flags to the families of those who died in the line of duty -- the new law standardizes the practice.

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