Leadership through experience

Photo By Sgt. Ryan Twist | Capt. Thor Johannessen, with the 42nd Infantry Division, out of Troy, New York, conducts a moment of silence for 9/11 victims at the Naval Station Chapel, Sept. 11, at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Service members were given an opportunity to remember, reflect and dedicate for those fallen in the Sept. 11 attacks. The Morale, Welfare & Recreation also held a 9.11K at Cooper Field to show their support.  

GUANTANAMO BAY , CUBA

09.18.2015

Story by Sgt. Ryan Twist 

Joint Task Force Guantanamo Public Affairs

GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Something happened. Something that shook every American to the core. That something was 9/11. In the face of tragedy some Americans responded by joining the armed forces.

I was no exception. Only I had a little more experience with what unfolded on that day, more than your average service member.

I am currently a captain assigned to the 13th Division. I am attached to New York City Emergency Management as the Director of Field Response, coordinating interagency emergency response across the five boroughs and have nearly 25 years of experience. However, on that catastrophic day, 14 years ago, I was with the Official Fire Department City of New York, Rescue 1 in Manhattan, New York.

I was scheduled to work that day, but assigned to a mandatory two-day scuba diving refresher course in the Bronx, under the Throggs Neck Bridge, preparing to get in the water.

We had a clear view of the World Trade Center, from where we were down by the water. One of the guys looked up and saw an unbelievable amount of fire coming from the North Tower of the World Trade Center. I rushed back to listen to the fire department radio to hear what they were saying. At that moment, they transmitted a second fifth alarm, an alarm which requires 20 engine companies, 11 ladder companies, nine special units, and 12 chief officers, for the south tower of the WTC. I was shocked to hear multiple fifth alarms, which at the time, was the highest type of alarm. I remember thinking how close together the towers were, but I did not believe they were close enough to catch on fire from each other. It didn’t make any sense to me.

I walked back to the pier to tell the guys about the alarms, that’s when I saw plenty of fire from the first building. Then the others saw the ball of fire when the second plane hit the other tower, though they never actually saw the plane hit.

Next thing I knew, we were being ordered back to the fire house. While there was a recall procedure in place, we almost never used it. Our scuba training abruptly ended.

There was one other fireman at the refresher course from Rescue Co. 1 and we both jumped in his car and drove to the fire house to grab our fire gear. On the drive, listening to the commercial radio, we finally heard the reason for the fire, two planes flew into the twin towers. At the fire house, we grabbed our gear and one other firefighter who was also recalled from home and headed to the scene.

As we pulled up, the north tower collapsed. We had to walk a long way to get to the command post because there were so many fire trucks in the road. Once we arrived, we reported to the Chief of Rescue Operations, at the Command Post, who estimated that 200 fire fighters were missing.

I was told to be aware because the south tower could fall, which at the time had never occurred to me. What seemed to me like only a few minutes after the warning, it happened. The south tower fell.

My training kicked in. I did not have time to think about all that was happening. The first thing we did was get the gas distribution to the city shut off. Next, we called for water. There was no water running to the hydrants, so they had to call for fireboats to supply water from the piers. Afterward, we operated by ourselves, looking for people. We worked hard to find as many as we could. We searched the most easily accessible areas first and worked from there.

We looked for an entrance anywhere, hoping to find someone who was still alive. Luckily, we were fortunate enough to find some people alive.

In the midst of all the commotion, I remember thinking we were in such a vulnerable position. There had to be something radiological in the air. Why else would all this be happening? Whatever was burning, whatever we were breathing in, it could not be good. It was a war zone without the bullets.

Everything that happened was a series of unbelievable events. To see the widespread destruction, to not only the towers, but to all the surrounding buildings was just unbelievable. There were several big (high-rise) buildings on fire.

A 50-story building nearby was on fire, from top to bottom. I could see the building, it collapsed, and I never even looked up. I heard the tremendous noise as it went down, but I never saw it fall.

That was only day one and I cannot remember the whole day. I remember parts of the second day, but for months afterward, everything is a blur.

Fourteen years later, I’m still trying to resolve issues. Just because the day has passed, you cannot experience something as tragic as 9/11 and wrap it up in a box and put it away. It’s never over. It affects everything.

My company, Rescue Co. 1, lost 11 out of 27 officers and firefighters. We lost the company commander, the senior lieutenant, and the newest guy in the company who had only been there a few months. We also lost the most senior man of our company, who had 40 years of experience. His son was in another fire company and also lost his life that day. To describe all of this in words cannot be done; feeling devastated was an understatement.

Two firefighters I went on a family vacation with, only a few months prior, were gone. Many children lost their fathers, wives lost their husbands, and parents lost their kids. Fourteen members of the FDNY lost their kids, who were also serving as firefighters. A son of a firefighter earned his degree, got a very good job at the World Trade Center also died that heartbreaking day.

I’m still in touch with the families of the guys we lost. Watching their kids grow and doing my best to pass on whatever I’ve learned from their fathers.

I was very lucky, to have known the firefighters who lost their lives. I learned a lot from them, whether it was tactics in fire fighting, leadership or any other subject.

The FDNY felt the effects of 9/11 long after it was over. There was so much loss from the tragedy. Many members suffered disabling injuries that day, and many others suffered injuries during the rescue and recovery efforts. Many of the most senior members retired at the urging of their families after decades of service. At one point the FDNY had more than 50 percent of firemen with less than five years of experience. The fire department has come a long way in recovering from that day.

Before that tragic day, I had never been affiliated with the military. However, after the 9/11 events, I was never more motivated to join. I enlisted in the New York Army National Guard in October of 2002 and spent two years going through the [National] Guard’s Officer Candidate School, commissioning in 2004 as an infantry officer. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, is my first deployment.

After being a part of Rescue Co. 1, it was rewarding to find out the military had the same highly motivated people I worked with at my fire company. I was surprised to find one fantastic organization would be so similar to another, in regards to the personnel.

They are all hard working people who have similar interests. Both firemen and service members strive to live their respective values, which is very comforting.
While I have not served in a combat zone as a service member, I’m confident that the Fire Department has provided me with some very similar experiences. I understand not everyone in the military has been through the same hardship as I have, and I feel very fortunate to have built the bonds I have with those in the military. No matter what role they perform, only a select few ever put on the uniform. Very few Americans take the opportunity to serve their country.

Being a little older than most, it’s exciting to see all the young people join. Some of those enlisting today were children when the tragic events of 9/11 happened and the events probably didn’t play a major role in their decision to join, but they still joined. We have such a great group of people in the military.

I am very confident the next time the U.S. is faced with something tragic, we have a deep pool of Americans who will stand and raise their right hands.

• Date Taken: 09.18.2015
• Date Posted: 03.01.2016 10:44
• Story ID: 190611
• Location: GUANTANAMO BAY , CU