Military at Arms

By Chief Warrant Officer 3 Nick Von Muenster: I was at AIT, basically job training for the military, out on the East Coast at Ft. Eustis, Virginia, to learn how to fix Chinook helicopters as a mechanic. We were conducting business as usual that day, and just finishing up PT (physical training). We were in the midst of falling out in formation when we heard two "fast movers" in what seemed to be skimming across the roof tops launching straight out to the Atlantic, armed to the teeth, you could see the missiles hanging from their wings they were so close. I could see puzzled looks on the Drill Instructors faces, but we continued business as usual and headed into the dining facility to eat morning chow. It was normal to see fast movers launch from Langley, but not that close to the ground and not armed to the teeth.

Standing in line waiting to get my wonderful Army Chow, the lunch ladies were all talking about how apparently the World Trade Center was bombed. I didn't correlate anything to what was going on at the time to the two fast movers that had launched into the Atlantic. After a few more minutes news was starting to circulate about more than just a bombing at the world trade center, the Pentagon was under attack too. We were promptly released for chow to return to our barracks and informed classes would be canceled until further notice and to stay in our barracks until formation was called. We all hurried back to the barracks to watch the T.V. in the day room and were able to get to the T.V. just in time to see another airplane hit the world trade center. The room was quiet, and goose-bumps were resonating down my arms as I watched what was unfolding in front of me on the T.V.

We didn't do much for the rest of the day, the base was on lock down, no body was allowed on or off the base. Civilian workers were basically trapped on post. You couldn't make a call home to tell everyone you were okay, or to check and see if everyone was okay back home, "all circuits were busy." For the next five days, classes were cancelled and talk of deployments started to linger in the wake of the new threat against the United States.

Now, today as the anniversary nears I am in Iraq, bringing the fight to the front door of the enemy, this time as a Pilot. I hope that everyone will take time on the anniversary of 9/11 and remember what they felt that day, and the strong patriotic ambition to defend our freedoms and ideals of the great United States of America. Remember those at the Pentagon, remember those at the World Trade Center, remember those in Pennsylvania, and remember all of those soldiers, sailors, and marines who have given so much, some the ultimate sacrifice, to ensure that the homeland stays safe and the fight stays far away from the borders and shores of our great nation.