A day measured In years
Exactly 25 years ago today, planes crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. As Americans rallied together in the aftermath, they knew their lives would be forever changed. For the men and women of the U.S. Department of Defense, Sept. 11 also marked the start of a radical shift in the way the U.S. military continues to operate and defend the homeland. The emphasis became cultivating service members--including Airmen--who are ready to respond to any contingency, any time, anywhere in the world.
“Now as we continue to evolve agile combat employment and multi-capable Airmen or mission ready Airmen, all of those things fall under the same need to be ready to respond,” said Chief Master Sgt. Edward Mueller, command chief for the 673d Air Base Wing, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
A very different environment
For Airmen like Mueller, who was already in the service when 9/11 occurred, the military environment was a markedly different place. For example, security at military installations was more lenient, and federal regulations were not as robust. Oftentimes, U.S. citizens could drive into base through uncontrolled gates without showing an ID.
“Rolling through the gate at Mountain Home Air Force Base [in Idaho] before Sept. 11, when we used stickers on our car that showed that our vehicle and its passengers were authorized, security forces would either give you a nod or a wave to move you through the gate,” Mueller said.
Everything changed for Mueller and other service members on that fateful day. After the initial shock, orders were issued to mobilize the entire nation. Bases were on alert, personnel gearing up and leadership devising strategies in response. Personnel mobilized and deployed like never before. According to the https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2011/10/05/chapter-3-fighting-a-decade-long-war/, around 84% of active duty personnel deployed post 9/11, a 26% increase from pre-9/11 deployments.
This mobilization included even the newest members of the armed forces. For Chief Master Sgt. Kevin Helms, command chief for the Eleventh Air Force, Alaskan Command and NORAD Alaska Region, that was how his career started. He had just graduated high school and was about to enter basic training when he heard the news.
“I was staying with my brother-in-law, and I recall being awakened that morning, and it was right after the first aircraft had struck the towers,” he said.
Helms was resolute in his commitment to the nation, something he also noticed in his wingmen.
“It was a renewed focus from everybody that I went to basic training with,” he said. “That sense of purpose was immediately apparent.”
A shared mission
Urgency and focus were key in the following 9/11. Service members put their affairs in order and prepared to travel halfway across the world, often with nearly no notice.
“There were some of us newer Airmen who had [desert camouflage uniforms] with no stripes, no Air Force tapes, no name tapes,” said Mueller. “It was relatively quick for an operation of that size.”
Even with waves of deployments, newer members observed first-hand the capability and excellence of their brothers and sisters in arms. As a new Airmen at Little Rock AFB, Arkansas, Helms wanted to do what he could to join them.
“You're trying to do all your training, to get all your core tasks knocked out, that way you can get down there and contribute as fast as possible,” said Helms. “That was my focus: ‘How can I upgrade, and how can I be ready to go whenever that next deployment goes out?’”
As new installations were established in the Middle East, personnel began to operate in the theater to ensure successful missions. Timelines were constantly in flux as the U.S. military responded to new information, and service members didn’t always know how long they’d be away from family--or how soon they’d have to leave again.
“For most of us, it was deployments for about six months,” said Chief Master Sgt. Jason Parrish, senior enlisted leader of the 673rd Mission Support Group. “You'd come home for four to six months, and then you would deploy again, especially in some of our high-demand career fields like security forces.”
Building a new type of resiliency
For the next several years, the U.S. was ever vigilant and proactive in its actions to defend the country and reduce threats to security. The National Guard engaged more actively in overseas deployments. Military branches accelerated technological developments, creating enhanced intelligence and combat systems. There was also an increased support for the DOD and its members. Patriotism welled up across the states, resulting in an 8% increase in enlistments. The DOD’s response following 9/11 had each branch engaged together, reinforcing their joint interoperability and camaraderie.
“I saw probably the height of togetherness that I can remember in my lifetime,” said Mueller. “No matter what the differences were in our country, political or social, coming out of the 1990s, it was a terrible tragedy, but it was one that unified the nation.”
For many service members, that one day shaped the rest of their career. From training to deployments and objectives, the attacks set the tone for the future of the DOD. Those who served during 9/11 have guided and evolved the armed forces into what they are today, carrying on a now 250-year-old legacy of liberty and justice.
Now with decades of information and experience, the U.S. and the Department of War have improved and reinvisioned national security, strengthening defense and deterring adversaries. More than ever, the armed forces are making great efforts to sustain and improve operability, power projection and agile combat employment to meet any challenge. The men and women who serve have been leading the way, be it 250 years or 25 years, and will continue to do so for the safety and prosperity of the nation.
“I've seen our military change, where our focus on readiness really emerged from Sept. 11, and has continued to evolve over the last 29 years,” said Parrish. “As combat continues to evolve over time, so do our expectations and our need from our ‘capital A’ Airmen, and I absolutely believe that the best and brightest members of our nation, less than 1% of our nation's citizens of any generation, serve in this uniform.”