Photo By Airman Isabella Borrillo | Nellis Air Force Base Honor Guard members post the colors during a 9/11 remembrance...... read more read more
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NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. — Airmen, first responders and members of the Nellis Air Force Base community gathered Sept. 11, 2026, to honor those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and reflect on the lasting impact the attacks have had on generations of service members.
Twenty-five years after the attacks, the annual remembrance ceremony honored the victims, first responders and service members whose lives and service were shaped by the events of that day.
On Sept. 11, 2001, four commercial aircraft were hijacked in a coordinated terrorist attack against the United States. Two struck the World Trade Center towers in New York City, one struck the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, and a fourth, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew members attempted to regain control.
The attacks claimed 2,977 lives and altered the course of the nation and its military.
For Tech Sgt. Devon Smith, battalion chief of the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron, Sept. 11 became more than a moment in American history. It helped shape his decision to serve and influenced the course of his Air Force career.
"I went to the auditorium, and it was like the loudest whisper I had ever heard,” Smith said. “Doctor Hall, our principal, and all the assistant principals walked up on stage, and that room was quiet. They believed it was a coordinated terrorist attack. Sometime while we were in the auditorium, the next plane hit the Pentagon and we didn't learn about Flight 93 until after school.”
Like many service members of his generation, Smith watched as the United States responded to the attacks and the military entered a new era. The experience influenced how he viewed service and ultimately became a defining part of his Air Force journey.
"I originally joined in 2006 to be a pararescueman because of the motto, 'That others may live,’” Smith said. “That motto really resonated with me.”
Throughout his career, the meaning of 9/11 continued to evolve. What began as the memory of a single day became connected to the Airmen he served alongside, the missions he supported and the sacrifices made by service members and their families.
Smith said the events of 9/11 also shaped his approach to firefighting. After witnessing the attacks as a high school student, he later studied the emergency response as a senior fire officer, examining what went right, what went wrong and what lessons could be applied to future incidents.
Those lessons remain with him whenever he responds to an emergency. Smith said 9/11 taught him the importance of carefully assessing a situation rather than simply rushing in, shaping both his career and the firefighter he has become.
During the ceremony, attendees reflected on those sacrifices and honored the first responders who ran toward danger as thousands sought safety.
For today's force, however, remembering 9/11 presents a new challenge. Many Airmen now serving were children when the attacks occurred, while others had not yet been born.
That generational shift makes sharing the stories and lessons of 9/11 increasingly important. Nellis has a history of bringing Airmen and first responders together to commemorate the 9/11 attacks Previous ceremonies have incorporated military and first-responder traditions such as wreath laying, ceremonial bell ringing and the playing of Taps to ensure the victims and sacrifices associated with the attacks are not forgotten.
This year's ceremony continued that tradition,giving the Nellis community an opportunity to reflect not only on what happened on Sept. 11, 2001, but also on the service that followed.
As another generation of Airmen assumes responsibility for the nation's defense, Smith said remembrance is about more than looking into the past. It is also about understanding the responsibility carried forward by those who continue to serve.
"Keep striving for a better tomorrow, to persevere,” Smith said. “Apply the lessons that we've learned. Learn from what happened, honor their sacrifices, and just remember the people. That's all you can really ask for.”
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 09.15.2026 18:48 |
| Story ID: | 574816 |
| Location: | NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, NEVADA, US |
| Web Views: | 24 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Never Forgotten: The legacy of 9/11 that shapes those who serve, by Amn Isabella Borrillo, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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