Camp Blanding hosts Global War on Terror Anniversary Ceremony

Photo By Ching Oettel | Camp Blanding Joint Training Center hosted the Global War on Terrorism 15th Anniversary today at the Camp Blanding Museum. The GWOT monument served as a backdrop for the event that welcomed veterans and their families.  

STARKE, FL, UNITED STATES

09.10.2016

Story by Staff Sgt. Carmen Fleischmann 

Florida National Guard Public Affairs Office

STARKE, Fla. (Sept. 10, 2016) – The Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) began when Americans were attacked on U.S. soil, Sept. 11, 2001. The nation commemorates that fateful day annually, and Camp Blanding Joint Training Center (CBJTC) observed the 15th anniversary of the Global War on Terrorism at the Camp Blanding Museum.
Congressman Ted Yoho, representing Florida’s Third Congressional District said he remembers the confusion the nation felt after the first plane struck the World Trade Center 15 years ago.
“Nineteen minutes later, there was no doubt,” he said. “It was an act of terror. It changed the words of ‘a moment in infamy’ that we’ll always remember to a new date … It changed the way of life in this country.”
Since that day, 19,802 Florida Guardsmen have deployed in defense of our nation. At the Camp Blanding Museum, the GWOT monument, adorned with the Fallen Soldier Battle Cross, is surrounded by memorials for each of the fallen heroes.
“We serve warriors – that’s what we do here. That’s why we’re holding this ceremony, because this is a big part of how we serve warriors – not just training here at Camp Blanding, but bringing them back here to honor them,” said CBJTC’s post commander, Army Col. Daniel “Matt” Johnson.
During World War II, approximately 8,000 Soldiers received their Basic Combat Training at Camp Blanding, many of whom landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. The appreciation for military service, both past and present, lives on at Florida’s premier training site that has been serving warriors since 1939.
“At the Camp Blanding Museum, we tell the story of the men and women who fought in World War II. It’s a story full of honor, patriotism, heroism and sacrifice. It reminds us of the cost of our freedom,” said Dr. George Cressman, president of the Camp Blanding Museum Association. “The Long War, the Global War on Terror, requires we continue to pay the price of sustaining our freedom.”
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• Date Taken: 09.10.2016
• Date Posted: 09.15.2016 11:45
• Story ID: 209712
• Location: STARKE, FL, US
• Hometown: ST. AUGUSTINE, FL, US
• Hometown: STARKE, FL, US