Twenty-Two Years

My wife and I were married almost exactly one month to the day before the September 11^th attacks. We celebrated our 22^nd anniversary just a few weeks ago knowing that another more solemn anniversary was coming soon. The anniversary occurring this week is when, in my humble opinion, the world fundamentally changed. I can’t help but reflect on that terrible moment 22 years ago this week.

I’ve forgotten a lot from my journey over the years but still remember that day 22 years ago clearly. My newlywed wife and I were living in Germany where I was stationed. Less than 30 days of wedded bliss and it was off to a field training exercise (FTX) for me! My battalion was away from our home station and deployed to a military range complex in the Northern part of Germany where we were executing Bradley fighting vehicle gunnery.

I was serving as an assistant operations officer at the time, tasked to ensure the range was running smoothly. It was late afternoon and we were wrapping up the days live firing activity. I was actually headed up to the tower when someone, I don’t recall who asked if I had heard about the plane crashes in NY. I immediately proceeded to our operations center where I was able to see the first images that would burn into our collective consciousness.

When it became evident the United States was under attack, my concern immediately went to my new bride. She was a foreigner, living in a third country and now she was alone. I was able to call her for a few minutes and try to assuage her concerns about everything that was unfolding on that September day. I instructed her to move our car which sported very distinguishable US tags out of the parking area in our German apartment and down the street. Probably a selfish reaction, but all I could think of the moment.

As for me and my colleagues, we were probably some of the most secure Americans in the world at the time! The Army issued a stop move so we couldn’t redeploy to our home base, and for a brief moment we were at a wartime posture. Our unit had all of our Bradley Armored Fighting Vehicles, support equipment and well stocked logistics to include ammo at a small German military base in a relatively rural part of Northern Germany. As an operation officer, I started working the security plan for our unknown length of stay at the base.  Within 24 hours there was about a platoon of Bundeswehr (German Army) armored vehicles joining us. Some of the local citizens left candles and items at the front gate. We provided opportunities for our Soldiers from the NY area to call back to the states to check on loved ones.

Needless to say, we ceased training operations and focused on force protection. About a week later we were permitted to redeploy to our home base in Germany. It was wonderful to see my wife again! In some ways, it was like we were redeploying from the field training to a different world. Everything had changed, almost overnight. In those initial months following the attacks, the entire focus became securing our bases, housing areas and other critical infrastructure. The German military shared in those responsibilities; a fact not often publicized.

Just a year later, in late 2022, I was serving as a Battery commander. We had shifted our primary focus from force protection to preparing for war. By Spring of 2023, we were at war. While in Iraq, Soldiers asked at every available opportunity, “why are we here”? I would be disappointed if they didn’t. The answer I gave then, is probably the same answer I would still give now. I didn’t understand all the geopolitics at play but knew that if our actions would in any way prevent another attack like September 11^th on American soil, then it’s definitely worth it. I am not sure how much the war in Iraq contributed to US security, but thankfully we haven’t had another major attack on American soil.

As a Soldier, 9/11 changed my profession fundamentally. In many ways for good. We no longer were configured to fight Soviet style formations but rather agile enemies such as rogue states and organized terrorists’ groups. Interesting how tragedy is sometimes the catalyst for needed change.

I think the attacks changed America positively as well, at least for a while. I will always remember the early aughts as a time of patriotism and relative contentment in our nation. The stories of sacrifice and heroism at ground zero and in the wars that followed pulled us together. But in just a few years a recession, prolonged wars, shifts in societal norms and rising political division seemed to undo any of the positive that may have come in the wake of the attack.

I hope our nation will never forget that terrible day 22 years ago and how it changed everything.

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The views, opinions and biases expressed in this blog are the authors and do not reflect those of the U.S. Army or Department of Defense.

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