“I was working at the jet shop here. There was a lot of confusion and a general state of denial. I wonder when, not if, it is going to happen again.”
– Kevin Greene, the ground safety manager with the 436th Airlift Wing safety office
“I was at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., when it happened. I knew the base was going to go into Force Protection Condition Delta. Thinking back on a decade of war, it probably won’t ever end.”
– Master Sgt. Daniel Duckworth, the first sergeant with the 436th Operations Support Squadron
“I was in Montgomery, Ala., attending Air Staff College. Initially I didn’t believe it, and then a realization of what it meant set in. Overall, I’m amazed at how well our nation responded, and how strongly the military handled, and adapted to, these new challenges.”
- Col. David Pollmiller, the commander of the 436th Operations Group
“I was in my homeroom during Ninth Grade; I remember the nervousness and confusion. Our nation has come a long way since that day.”
– Staff Sgt. Jessica Clarke, a knowledge operations manager with the 436th Operations Group
“I had just dropped off my kids at school when my wife called me and told me what happened. I spent four hours trying to call all my friends and family in New York City. I remember the first time I drove into NYC and didn’t see the towers; that really affected me.”
– Master Sgt. Michael Meinhold, a flight engineer training manager with the 436th Operations Support Squadron
“I was undergoing physical therapy when it happened. It was a confusing time. Looking back, I think about the shifted mentality of the U.S. and [international community].”
– Capt. Ryan Faucheux, a C-5 pilot training manager with the 436th Operations Support Squadron
“I was getting ready to fly a mission at Vance Air Force Base, Okla. What are remarkable to me are the enduring nature of the conflict and the heroism of that day.”
– Lt. Col. Douglas Jackson, the commander of the 436th Operations Support Squadron
“I was at Aviano Air Base, Italy, on 9/11. It was surreal being in a foreign country watching your home country get attacked.”
– Col. Joan Garbutt, the commander of the 436th Mission Support Group
“I was in-processing at the Military Personnel Flight on base. It was chaos; all the people who had commited to helping me move into my new house were called into work. [Looking forward], I would love to see the country unite under the same spirit present immediately after the attacks.”
– Tech. Sgt. Jeffrey Bushaw, the NCO in charge of the 436th Airlift Wing protocol office
“I was in the [436th Security Forces Squadron] building on base. I remember the eerie, quiet atmosphere. I still get chills when I think back on it.”
– Debra Larregui, a secretary with 512th Airlift Wing safety office
