Today marks the 13th Anniversery of the Global War on Terror. What were you doing when it started?

2014-09-11T09:27:17-04:00

Today, 11 September, marks the 13th anniversary of the Terrorist strike on American soil. I was stationed at Scott AFB in Illinois doing telephone triage and appointment booking for the Primary Care Clinic when a patient stated "oh my.....a plane just hit the World Trade Center!" I thought she was talking about a small single engine private plane that had issues....then she said "oh no! Another plane just hit, you need to go, I don't need anything today". She hung up. I ...went to the clinic lobby in time to see recap of both planes hitting the World Trade Center, then the Pentagon, then the field in Pennsylvania. I rushed to a phone and called Julie. I knew she had plans to be out and about with Kaia and some neighbors/friends for an infant baby photo shoot....they had not yet left. I told her DON'T leave and why. Within 15 minutes of that, the base went from normal operations to full lock down with armed Security Forces and loaded crew served weapons (like the M-2 .50cal Machine gun and more) attached to the vehicles and slow rolling through base housing and the rest of the base. And so began the journey into the Global War on Terror. This is something that I will never forget.

Response by SFC Michael Hasbun made Sep 11 at 2014 9:33 AM

2014-09-11T09:33:16-04:00

I was at the ASP on Camp Pendleton picking up mortars for a range later that day...

Response by SPC Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 9:49 AM

2014-09-11T09:49:50-04:00

Heh... this shows how long the war has been going on.

I was in 9th grade. I was listening to the radio on the way to school, they stated a plane had crashed into one of the world trade center buildings. I assumed it was a small prop plane and went inside to get to class...

I went to my first morning class and everyone was buzzing about something, then the teachers turned on the TV and I witnessed the second plane strike the WTC, live. The rest of the school day was very hectic. People who had family who worked in the building were having a very hard time, otherwise there was just a general lull in everything we did that day. Every class had to go on business as usual, but each of us felt it was disrespectful to the reverence that day deserved.

Sorry if I made any feel old. =P

Response by COL Vincent Stoneking made Sep 11 at 2014 10:05 AM

2014-09-11T10:05:18-04:00

When the first tower was struck, I was in my carport waiting for my truck to warm up. When the second tower was struck, I was back in my apartment watching the news. After a quick call to my boss in the reserves, I was at (civilian) work not working. We had set up a couple of TVs (now, doubtless, we would all be streaming on our PCs, but that was then) that people hovered around.

Response by CAPT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 10:45 AM

2014-09-11T10:45:19-04:00

I was working on Capitol Hill in my civilian job. I was also a Navy reserve Ensign for CHINFO at the Pentagon. I was having breakfast in the Capitol's Members' Dining Room with constituents and my boss when the first plane hit, but I did not find out what happened until I returned to my office in the Rayburn Building across the street. We evacuated and I eventually made it back to my neighborhood and met up with my wife at the Pentagon's CITGO gas station where all the media were gathering and RDML Quigley was trying to answer media questions. The apartment my wife and I lived in was on the Hill above the Pentagon and the plane had flown directly over it in the final seconds. A friend of mine, and the girlfriend of one of my unit members, was on the plane on her way to her very first overseas vacation in Australia. The CHINFO office was not in the path of the plane and all in that office made it out safe.

Response by SFC Miguel Ortiz Mercado made Sep 11 at 2014 1:37 PM

2014-09-11T13:37:40-04:00

Stationed at The Old Guard in DC. I was driving when the towers were hit and vaguely caught an earshot of what was happening on the radio. I had arrived at Ft. Myer, VA for rehearsals and I was asked "had I heard", not shortly after the Pentagon was hit. My company was on QRF status for the National Capitol and we began to move to our posts; however DC was a traffic nightmare and we still had to get to Ft. Mcnair across the Potomac. We began on a bus and after 10 min of not moving, I proposed to the LT and PSG to run back. As we ran in between the sea of cars, we were cheered at and yelled patriotic comments like "go get them". Upon finally reaching the Pentagon, we began recovery ops and the horror of that day was live and in living color before us. For the next few weeks it would be a constant reminder of the cowardly attack on our homeland. I will never forget that day.

Response by LTC Paul Labrador made Sep 11 at 2014 1:44 PM

2014-09-11T13:44:51-04:00

I was getting ready to go to sleep in my room in the Dragon Hill Lodge in Yongsan (Korea is literally on the other side of the word and 13hrs ahead of EST). I was supposed to DEROS on 12 Sep 01 and final out and then catch the shuttle to Osan the next morning to catch the Freedom Bird. I got a call from a buddy who was in processing (and was replacing me) and told me to turn on the TV. The first tower was just about to fall when I turned on the TV. First thought through my mind as as soon as I heard that an it was airplanes that flew into the towers, was that "we're at war." Suffice to say I didn't fly out the next day. Yongsan was locked down completely. MPs at the gates with full battle rattle. KNP riot cops outside the gates in full riot gear and assault rifles. It was scary. I was stuck in limbo on Yongsan for about a week until I managed to get on a C-17 flight out of Osan. I don't recommend flying internationally on a C-17......;o)

Response by CW5 Sam R. Baker made Sep 11 at 2014 4:00 PM

2014-09-11T16:00:05-04:00

Preparing to go to PT on post at Fort Campbell, was shaving when it happened, my ex-wife's mother was standing in front of the TV and asked me a question out of the blue about how would a plane run into a building, so I came into the living room and as we were watching the smoke, the next one hit and I immediately ran to get on my BDUs, I never made it to post that day, the traffic and lock down made it virtually impossible for the next 3-4 days.

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 5:39 PM

2014-09-11T17:39:05-04:00

I was in 5th grade. We had barely started class when another teacher came bursting into our room, crying and asking our teacher if she'd heard. The TVs in the classrooms were only hooked up to the school's network, but our teacher pulled out a set of rabbit ears and played around with them until we got one of the local news channels. We watched the news all morning, and school let out early that day. I remember my mom trying to explain to my younger brother and I what had happened and why it was important, and the panic in her voice as she called family in NY to see if they were ok. I remember not understanding what the big deal was - why everyone was so angry and sad about it. Even with her trying to explain, I thought it was an accident. I didn't understand until my dad called not long after and explained that he was deploying to go fight the bad guys that had attacked us. That was when I decided I wanted to join the military. To help my dad get the bad guys.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 11 at 2014 7:46 PM

2014-09-11T19:46:21-04:00

Was in home room during 7th grade.

Response by SSgt John Carroll made Sep 11 at 2014 7:51 PM

2014-09-11T19:51:30-04:00

From my facebook posting earlier today:
So 13 yrs ago I was living outside Ft Riley in a town called Junction City. As a freshman in High School I was between classes, people were talking about a sick prank someone had pulled on them saying New York City had been attacked. Teachers were trying to disperse rumors & calm students till they actually knew for sure what was going on & what had fueled these nasty rumors. Then after lunch they turned on the TV's not only was it all true, but most of us had friends & family that was serving or had served in the Military & with the real threat of war no-one knew what would happen to their families but the whole school was in panic.
The next year I moved to Texas.
8 Years ago I was in career training at Sheppard AFB, I had been in the AF for 6 months & still hadn't even made it to my first official duty station.
7 Years ago I had been married for 2 months & had left for my 1st Deployment days later.
6 Years ago I was 3 months into my second deployment.
5 Years ago I had just gotten back from my second TDY in 2 months.
4 Years ago I was 1 month into my third deployment.
3 Years ago I had just gotten back from my fourth deployment & 5 days later my First Son would be born.
2 Years ago I had just graduated ALS, been promoted to SSgt & was helping Danielle plan Aiden's first birthday.
1 Year ago I had a 3 month old second Son, & had recently attended a good friend's ALS Graduation & tacked on his SSgt Stripe.

This year I am less that 3 weeks from separating from the AF (not by choice) and I'm sad to say I will miss it not the PC BS but the work as annoying as it could be, the people who became family & the place I have called home for the last 8 years McConnell AFB, just 2 hours from where I was when it all happened.