Thanks

• A barracks banner whose primary message is "thank you" might be drawn and signed by local school children, complete with crayoned eagles, flags and hearts. It might also be professionally printed, bear the returning group's official military insignia, and carry the names of local businesses as an expression of community support.
  
  

Good Job

• Friends and family of returning troops might commission a local artist to create a barracks banner conveying the message "Good job." A billowing American flag or eagle are common patriotic themes, but a panoramic depiction of the troops in action, a lone solider standing guard, or a painting of grateful American citizens, are possible alternatives.
  
  

Welcome Home

• A "Welcome home" banner can be made of patriotic bunting, such as that used on the fourth of July, a plain banner festooned with yellow ribbons, or be a work of textile art, such as a handmade quilted banner bearing the group's official insignia and the names of its members. Possible alternatives might include photos of local landmarks or iconic American wonders such as the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls.
  
  

I Love You

• The best banners are homemade and say "I love you." If this is the message on your banner, the style hardly matters: the impact will be the same. However, if you want maximum visibility, use dark paint on a light background, or day-glo or metallic paint on a dark background. Draw fat, capitalized letters stretching all the way to the edge of the banner. Hang metallic streamers or brightly colored scarves from the banner's borders, and be sure to throw in lots of hearts.