Thousands of miles apart Marines stand guard at elementary schools in the wake of Sandy Hook

Two Marines at separate sides of the U.S. have decided to answer the call of duty and stand guard outside their local schools during the day.
Jordan Pritchard, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, began his watch duty on Monday at a school in Nashville, Tenn. and his friend Marine Sgt. Craig Pusley followed suit on Wednesday, standing outside the Hughson Elementary School, near Modesto, California.
Both said they are committed to bringing a sense of order to their communities, that have been rocked after the deadly shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School last week.
At attention
At attention: Jordan Pritchard, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, wore his uniform to stand outside a school in Nashville, Tenn. for three days
U.S Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Craig Pusley
Guard: U.S Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Craig Pusley stands guard as kindergarten student Liset Corona, 5, walks to her class at Hughson Elementary School on Wednesday
Pritchard decided to take out his uniform and stand outside the front door of the Gower Elementary School in Nashville, where two of his children attend school.
'I'm doing this because we need hope, man. We need hope,' he told WTVF-TV.
'When parents come up to me and they're crying and thanking me for being out here. There's no job in the world that can pay me enough money to not do things for the kids and for the parents,' he added.
He stood at attention, in a private capacity as he is no longer in the military, from Monday until Wednesday, when the school's winter break began.
Inspired by his example, another member of the armed forces decided to take up the post at his local school in California.
 

Sgt. Pusley, a Marine veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, said he decided to stand by the flagpole outside the Hughson Elementary School because 'he wanted to make the kids feel safe in light of what happened at Sandy Hook Elementary.’
'I’m part of a Marine Corps fraternity, and I started noticing online postings that if Marines stood in front of schools, we never would have had the Connecticut problem,' he told KXTV.
Sgt. Pusley, who has a three-year-old child and another one on the way, told the local paper that he got the idea to stand guard at the elementary school after he read a Facebook post encouraging soldiers to do their part to keep their community safe.
Safe
Safe: Third grader Ethan Venn shakes hands with U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Craig Pusley on Wednesday, the first day Pusley stood watch at the boy's school

Gratitude
Gratitude: Third-grader Keira Miller waves to U.S Marine Corps Reserve Sgt. Craig Pusley as she leaves school at Hughson Elementary School

Well received
Well received: Parents have been effusive in their thanks for the Marine, saying they feel at peace knowing someone in the community cares about the safety of their children
'When I enlisted, I swore to defend this country from all enemies, foreign and domestic,' Sgt. Pusley told The Modesto Bee.
'I just want to be sure all these kids go home safe for Christmas.' 
In the aftermath of the deadly shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, when a 20-year-old gunman shot dead 20 children and 6 adults, schools across the nation have been on alert and many students and teachers have been feeling uneasy about their safety during the school day.
Just this week, a sixth grader in Utah brought a .22-caliber handgun to school, telling school officials that he wanted to have the weapon in the case of an attack.
Now, firms selling bullet-proof children's backpacks lined with Kevlar-type sheeting are reporting that there has been a massive surge in sales in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre.
The backpacks are capable of stopping bullets from most handguns and can also be used as shield.
With parents fearful across the country, Pusley decided that he needed to step up and take care of his own.
On Wednesday morning, he awoke early and walked around the corner to the school around 7:30am.
‘I was just praying and hoping the principal would say yes,’ he said and fortunately Principal Laura Fong enthusiastically received Pusley and accepted his offer to stand watch.
Protection
Protection: Jordan Pritchard, a former staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, stood guard outside this Nashville school this week, until the students left for winter break
'It really is kind of heartwarming to know someone would do something like that,' Fong said. 'It makes me and my staff feel safer. After a shooting, there's always a heightened awareness that this could happen anywhere,’ she said.
He stood, unarmed, by the flag pole from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday – greeting students and interacting with children throughout the day.
The elementary school’s receptionist Angelee Martin said that seeing Pusley standing guard prompted tears of comfort and relief. 
‘Everybody feels so safe with him there. He just impresses me so much,’ she said. A parent of one student agreed, ‘Somebody, out of their own heart, is actually protecting our children,’ Danielle Batteate said.   
Hughson
Hughson Elementary School principal Laura Fong said she was touched when Pusley asked if he could stand outside to protect the school
The parent's association at the school took to Facebook to add their thanks and the message garnered thousands of Likes, with parents joining in to express their gratitude.
In response to the praise, the Marine said, 'I just want to have a word to this community that I stand between them and any danger. I don't need to be armed to do this. I don't have a fear in the world that if someone came here, I'd have the strength and the ability to protect them.'
Though the children were excited about his presence and parents comforted by the gesture, now Pusley fears that he could come under investigation by the Marine Corps for breaking protocol by wearing his fatigues instead of his dress uniform on Wednesday. 
Since Pusley was fulfilling a personal mission, that wasn’t commissioned by the Marine Corps, he could face up to a $10,000 fine and five years in prison.
For the mistake, the 28-year-old could even receive a dishonorable discharge.
Pusley told the paper that Pritchard had contacted him and informed him that he had been notified by the Marine Corps that he was the subject of a formal investigation because he wore the uniform and is no longer a Marine.
'I made a mistake. I shouldn't have worn it. I apologize to my community, my nation and the Marine Corps,' Pusley told the paper, saying that he has even written a letter of apology to President Barack Obama.
But on Thursday, Pusley was still committed to fulfill his mission and was dressed instead in a business suit when he assumed his watch.
‘You don't need a uniform to do this,’ he said.

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