Answering the Call: How 9/11 Shaped Sgt. Maj. Christopher Miller’s Military Journey [Image 2 of 14]

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES

09.07.2026

Photo by Master Sgt. Arthur Wright 

DC National Guard

U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Christopher Miller, Senior Enlisted Leader (SEL) for the District of Columbia National Guard Joint Staff, speaks with NBC4 Washington at the D.C. Armory, Sept. 7, 2026, for a special commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Miller was a high school senior in Northern Virginia on 9/11. Just days before the attacks, he had visited the South Tower of the World Trade Center. What he witnessed and experienced in the days that followed helped shape his decision to pursue a life of public service. After graduating high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 2002.

Nearly 25 years later, that decision has become a career defined by service at home and abroad.
Miller has deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation New Dawn, as well as missions in Kuwait. His service has also taken him to Germany, Bosnia, Jamaica, Belize, Puerto Rico, Saipan and Guam in support of military operations and international training.
As a former first sergeant and operations NCO with the DCNG’s 33rd Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Team, Miller helped plan and execute more than 30 National Special Security Event missions, including Presidential Inaugurations, in addition to more than 90 other missions and 100 unit collective training events. For Miller, Sept. 11 is part of the reason he chose to serve—and a reminder of the commitment he has carried forward for nearly a quarter century. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Master Sgt. Arthur M. Wright)

• Date Taken: 09.07.2026
• Date Posted: 09.09.2026 05:17
• Photo ID: 9919477
• VIRIN: 260907-F-PL327-1437
• Resolution: 6048x4024
• Size: 3.16 MB
• Location: DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US