With the awarding of the Military Flagship School distinction to the final two schools, the Liberty County School System is now among the ranks of the few.

With Button Gwinnett Elementary and Lyman Hall Elementary — the schools named after Liberty County’s own signers of the Declaration of Independence — receiving the honor Friday, the entire district is now a Military Flagship School district, and one of only two such school districts in Georgia.

State Superintendent Richard Woods congratulated the Liberty schools on their individual achievement as Military Flagship Schools and as a whole in becoming just one of two Military Flagship Districts.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said of the awards to the schools and to the district. “It’s always a pleasure to see your commitment to military families.”

“This is an exciting day,” added Liberty County Superintendent Dr. Franklin Perry.

The awards show how the schools support military children and their families, said Delores Crawford, principal at Button Gwinnett.

Dr. Norman Hart III, the principal at Lyman Hall, said Dr. Perry came to him before the start of the school year and made it clear he wanted his school to get the Military Flagship School distinction.

“And Dr. Perry, I did understand that,” Dr. Hart said.

Woods pointed out that he too grew up a child in a military family — his dad served in the Navy for 30 years, so he’s aware of the toll constant relocating can take on families and children, he said.

“We look at this award and why is it important — because we have to make sure we support all of our children and their families. With this unique group, they are on the move all the time,” he said. “You always feel like you’re the new kid moving in. Our commitment is to make sure we make sure your transition into our state and into our school communities as easy and as joyful as we possibly we can make it.”

Staff Sgt. Zach McIntyre, joined his wife and their two young daughters, said being in the Army is not just a job, it’s also a lifestyle.

“This career demands commitment not just from us as service members but from our families as well,” he said. “Committing to something with an unknown future can be scary. But with the right people by your side and a can-do attitude, it can be fulfilling.”

The mission has come first for the last 11 years, McIntyre acknowledged, and that has meant missed anniversaries, birthdays and other milestones.

“As a family in the United States Army, we have embraced the challenges, the adventures, and the countless opportunities we might have missed if we had not chosen this path,” he said. “We don’t focus on what we’ve missed. We focus on making each moment special.” His family’s motto, McIntyre said, is “let’s,” as in “let’s get ready for our next adventure.”

“When the swell arises, we ride the wave of change and dive into teach moment as a fresh start. New places, new friends, new cuisine, a new day to try something new,” he added.

McIntyre said the perfect animal for military life is a rubber chameleon — “because it adapts to its environment and stays flexible.” He also called upon spouses to be the “peanut butter to our jelly.

“We are one team, one fight,” he said.

Woods said the schools can provide an assurance of stability and by providing the kind of education the families are after. “We want to make sure as they move into school life, it means they can learn their ABCs and get the academic knowledge they need wherever they are,” he said. “You never know when mom and dad may be called upon to leave for an extended period of time. What happens at home doesn’t stay at home — it comes into our classrooms every single day.”

Nearly a quarter of all of the school system’s students are considered to be military- impacted, about 2,640 from figures released earlier this year. Hinesville Mayor Karl Riles, who proudly declared he attended Button Gwinnett and whose wife is an elementary school teacher, expressed gratitude for the teachers and staff for their “hugs, wiped noses and tied shoes.”

“Thank you for providing that environment and that safe space,” he said.

Steve Hood, the deputy garrison commander for Fort Stewart, also congratulated the system on its achievement. With 12 schools, Liberty County is the largest Military Flagship District. Lanier County Schools, which are close to Moody Air Force Base in northern Lowndes County, has three schools — Lanier County Elementary, Lanier County Middle and Lanier County High.

“This captures a portion of the efforts of the Liberty County School System for what you do each and every day for each and every child,” he said. “It highlights the unique challenges that belong to the military and the military families.”

Military families also discuss where they have been stationed and where they may be going next, Woods pointed out, and they compare communities and schools.

“I want them to say it is Hinesville, Georgia and the Liberty County School System is where they want to land,” he said. “We want to make sure we stand out.”