ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- It’s been 15 years. Fifteen years since a group of terrorists used four commercial airliners to attack some of America’s most iconic buildings, killing thousands of innocent people in the process.
They set out to destroy what they saw as symbols of American wealth and power. They hoped to shake our foundation as a nation, but instead, they steeled our resolve.
September 11th, 2001, was one of the darkest days in American history, but those horrific events didn’t unravel us ... they united us. Following the attacks, American patriotism was on display everywhere. It still is.
We grieved, we mourned ... then we did what Americans always do. We dusted ourselves off and got back to the business at hand, albeit with a heightened sense of vigilance. And here we are, 15 years later, still taking the fight to those who would do us harm.
We have not forgotten – We remain stalwart and resolute.
We Airmen, the men and women of Team Robins, are united around a single purpose – the mission. We provide vital, unwavering support for the deterrence of aggression, ongoing combat operations, and humanitarian relief efforts around the globe.
We know that Success Here = Success There. We support the fight through power projection, each of us in our own way, and together as a team. That’s what we do, and we’re darned good at it. We should be ... we’ve been doing it for 75 years.
As we solemnly remember the events of 9/11, we renew our sense of unity, strengthen our resolve, and sharpen our focus on the mission. We are ever mindful of the past in order to better shape our future.
The Timeline:
8:46 a.m. – Terrorists aboard American Airlines Flight 11 crash into floors 93-99 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the building.
9:03 a.m. – Hijackers crash United Airlines 175 into floors 75-85 of the North Tower of the World Trade Center, killing everyone on board and hundreds inside the building.
9:37 a.m. – Hijackers aboard Flight 77 crash the plane into the western façade of the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., killing 59 aboard the plane and 125 military and civilian personnel inside the building.
10:07 a.m. – After passengers and crew members aboard the hijacked United Flight 93 contact friends and family and learn about the attacks in New York and Washington, they mount an attempt to retake the plane. In response, hijackers deliberately crash the plane into a field in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, killing all 40 passengers and crew aboard.