Where Were You On 9/11?

Where were you on September 11, 2001? That question takes us back to a day when time stood still and the world we knew shifted forever.

For me, I was returning from the 90th PSB Headquarters in Baumholder back to Kaiserslautern (K-Town) in Germany. As I entered the building, I saw a crowd gathered around the television. At first, I thought maybe an important figure had died but as I got closer and saw the replay of the towers falling it felt so surreal.

In that moment, and in the hours that followed, everything changed. Up until then, I had always been a “by the book” person. It’s one of the reasons I became a technician in the Army there was always an answer in the regulation. You could almost say I was very transactional. But that day and the days that came after showed me that regulations couldn’t answer to the heart of a Soldier.

When communications dropped and real humans couldn’t contact their families back home, especially those on the East Coast regulations didn’t matter. When parents couldn’t leave the building to pick their kids up from daycare or school, it wasn’t the regulations that brought comfort. It was humanity. It was compassion.

That was the moment my life changed. I realized that being a leader, being a Soldier was not just about following regulation but also about leading with empathy, with care, and with courage. That day made me a better person.

September 11th will forever remain a day of loss and remembrance. Nearly 3,000 lives were taken on American soil. Families were shattered. First responders gave everything. Service members around the world prepared to answer a new call. And yet, even in the tragedy, we saw what binds us together, the resilience, courage, and compassion of ordinary people rising to meet extraordinary circumstances.

As we remember 9/11 this month my prayer is that we recommit to honoring the fallen, uplifting the survivors, and embodying the spirit of humanity that carried us through that dark day.

Never forget. Always honor. Always remember.