Students salute soldier's return to school

WASHINGTON TWP., NJ. - May 16, 2008 Major Tracy McGriff got quite a surprise when she visited the Birches Elementary School today.

The 560 students lined the halls, saluted, and applauded the veteran Washing Township police officer and Air Force National Guard major who's just returned from 6 months in Iraq.

Officer Tracy, as she's called here, was the school's START officer, much like a DARE officer. When she was deployed to Iraq, the children remembered her with letters, Christmas ornaments, and her favorite candy.

"Everybody in my house was saying, another box from home? Because I got more boxes than anyone else in the office," Major McGriff said.

Tracy McGriff really just stopped by to say thank you, but was overwhelmed by the reception.

McGriff has been in the active Air Force and Air National Guard for nearly 20 years, and has been a police officer for 10 years.

McGriff, a foreign disclosure officer, went to Iraq a captain and came back a major.

Major McGriff says she'll never forget what the children did for her and she looks forward to returning to the Washington Township police force this summer.